The Ice Man
by BigMammaLlama5
Summary: Years have passed since Elsa became the beloved Queen of Arendelle, but political slights are not so easily forgotten... And often worsened with the discovery of a new foreign companion. *Will update every Monday, slight crossover with STARZ TV show Spartacus, Elsa a bit OOC just FYI but not terribly so.
1. Chapter 1

**And I'm back, with a Frozen and Spartacus crossover. If you haven't seen one of them I suggest you do! Both are fantastic. If you also haven't read Degrees of Silence, I would like you to but it isn't dire if you don't. It just has a few plot points that will eventually be covered in this story, but also explains how Elsa grows as a young woman.**

**And how about Frozen winning a well deserved Golden Globe for Best Animated Film?! Too bad _Let It Go_ lost out on Best Song to Mandela...**

**There are MAJOR spoilers for those who haven't seen all the way through Spartacus. This is your only warning.**

**Special thanks to my beta for letting me veer away from 60 Minutes for the time being. I know she wants to smack me…**

**I've worked hard to integrate the two story lines together and I hope you find this as enjoyable to read as I found it to write. Let me know how I did!**

***March 14, 2014 NOTE: It seems I forgot to mention Elsa is going to be a bit out of character in this story. This IS a more adult story, so naturally she's going to be a little colder and a little harsher. Just bear with me, Disney Elsa wouldn't have survived well in this story.**

The Ice Man

Smoke, charred flesh, blood, and dirt burned the nose of the Undefeated Gaul. Blinding white pain roiled through his stomach where the spear had been viciously plunged and then ripped away, his life draining away in a fiery rush that left his body cold. Crixus gasped for breath through his clipped lung that was slowly filling with his own coppery blood.

He was dying. He could _feel_ it.

After all he had done, all he had fought for... Cut down by a cowardly boy from behind. What a way to die in battle. He was consoled with the sole fact that Spartacus yet lived, safe and far from this hellish bloodbath at the foot of Mount Garganus.

The snake dressed in red before him was speaking but he could not hear through his agony. Steel flashed brightly in the weak sunlight over his head and Crixus forced his body to rise up on his knees, refusing to show anything but pride and defiance to the Roman dogs. The faint screams of Naevia came to him through the haze and he twisted his head to the left. The warrior woman, wrought with grief was on her knees in the mud with a bloody gladius at her throat. If he were to see anything right before he left this world, it would be her face. Even though she was screaming and blood and tears were both pouring in abundance from her wounds and eyes, Crixus thought she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. She was worth more than every drop of blood he had lost in all of his struggles.

But just when the whistle of the tempered blade was close enough to separate his head from his body-his executioner was struck down. Chaos resumed around him with a frenzied burst, and Crixus was left kneeling in the mire with his face still turned toward Naevia. She struggled to break free but the bastard holding her opened her throat. He felt himself screaming in an even worse anguish as he watched the love of his life go limp.

His heart _broke_.

Crixus sat back on his haunches and wept for the woman as his own lifeblood poured hot from his body. The shattering in his heart was worse than any pain he had ever experienced. And just when it was at its peak, his hell was cut short by a blunt force blow to the head that plunged him into darkness. His limp body slumped to the ground in a clumsy heap and Crixus was forgotten.

After the battle had raged on to its completion, over twenty thousand of the thirty thousand souls of the rebel slave army had been lost. It was a devastating blow compared to the mere loss of a few hundred Romans. The bodies of the Sons of Rome were recovered and burned, while the corpses of the rebels were left to rot. The Soldiers who cleared the field where Crixus lay took the bodies and threw them in a gully to clear a path. The now defeated Gaul was amongst them.

The nights froze and the rains came yet Crixus did not wake, trapped in a weak haze of fevered infection. Within weeks the entire bottom of the gully had frozen, with Crixus trapped inside suspended in a stasis between the living world and the afterlife. The encapsulated half-rotted corpses sunk deep into the earth, forgotten without even being known.

Crixus was lost.

* * *

The wind howled across the Tuscan plains, the jingle of halters and thunder of hooves just barely breaking the monotony. The small party of twenty-one galloped at a steady pace across the frozen plains on their way North back to Arendelle. There was no carriage amongst them, for the sake of their speed of travel. It also concealed the Queen within them, bundled up in men's trousers and boots with a hooded fur cape wrapped about her. Her hair was tucked up under a woolen cap, another strip of fur swaddled across her face. Like her guards she had also donned a heavy steel helm to protect her head and face, crested with tan and black horsehair. Freezing rain pelted their backs and froze on their shoulders like prickly armor as they rode with the wind. A brutal assassination attempt in Rome cut their diplomacy short at the knees as well as the Queen's concern for her Sister's and her own safety. The men had been from the Southern Isle of all places _and_ they had been well trained. Had the Queen's own powers failed her during that frantic scuffle she would be dead. She had unfortunately succeeded in taking three lives that night for her own protection.

But against all suggestion the Queen rode on at the forefront of the platoon, her hands bare on the reigns and ready to act if they had been followed. If she had learned anything with bringing her cryokinetic powers to light it was learning how to defend herself and quickly take the offensive. It was highly important that they remained alert, despite that her loyal body double was traveling in the beautiful carriage she had arrived in on the main road. The original twenty that had escorted her down continued to ride with the carriage-the twenty she was currently riding with were her most trusted. They had also traveled down but at a distance incase the trip turned sour. The first night after they had left Rome the switch was made. But that was weeks ago. The platoon had swung far South and East to misdirect any attention on them. They were traveling further than the Carriage and would make it back to Arendelle much later than the Queen's body double but it would hopefully prove to be much safer.

The Queen was sore from the constant riding and ached for a decent bath-one she knew she wouldn't get for a long while yet. After the second week of traveling in the same clothes that smelled of horse and shit and earth she chose to not pay any attention to it. The Queen never thought that she would come to care so little for cleanliness but the past near-month had been full of eye opening situations. But by now she was _more_ than used to the stench. Her current hygiene consisted of keeping her hair in its large braid out of the way, her hands as clean as possible, and her monthly cloths as well. Everything else was neglected to an extent, just like the unshaven guard she rode with. In fact, her furs had a newer coat of crusted gray clay on them courtesy from the rains of the night before. The only group-wide hygiene decree she upheld was that they kept their teeth clean and cared for. She would _not _a man to a measly tooth ache. It had happened before and she'd be damned if it happened again.

The light of the day was fading quickly and all eyes were on the lookout for any kind of shelter for the night. Ice blue irises peered out from under a hood against the freezing elements, tired but still full of drive. They zeroed in on a rocky outcropping through the sheets of water and she shouted out an order to head toward it, her voice barely carrying over the thunder of the horses. En mass they veered off to the right, moving swiftly across the soggy field sending mud and dirt clods flying.

It didn't take long for the ground to be covered and soon the horses were being cared for and settled down for the night out of the path of the cutting wind. The fires were built and the pots put on for their evening meal of bland grain porridge. The Queen longed for a healthy serving of mulled wine but she sipped from her water skin instead. There had been no room for such a seemingly minor comfort during their hasty departure. The young woman huddled around one of the four fires with five other men, their huge broad builds dwarfing her slight frame. Their shoulders bumped together as they quickly devoured their meager meal, the muddy toes of their leather boots nearly in the small cooking fire. The sound of a lone guitar from the group next to them plucked out an upbeat watermill tune over the wind, a small harmony of voices weaving in and out over the howl.

"I'll be right back." She muttered and one of the men got up to go with her, tramping off into the storm at her elbow.

The Queen relieved herself behind a small boulder and then switched and stood watch for her companion. Something felt off about her surroundings, something that was calling to the power flowing through her veins and distracting her. She couldn't see it, but the irises of her eyes somehow became even bluer and began to gleam in the oncoming dark, flashing eerily like an animal's. While she waited and tried to stifle the feeling a gully caught her eye and frowned slightly at the skeletal remains of a human foot protruding from a dirty hunk of ice at the very bottom. Her power now sang loudly in her blood and curiosity got the better of her. The Queen stepped sprightly over the rocky ground, her leather boots helping her keep her footing. She heard the guard follow her, curious about what she was doing but wise enough to not question it. Rarely did the Queen stray from their path unless something or someone commanded her full attention. The bottom of the gully was a grotesque mass of ice and twisted ancient corpses in varying rates of decay. She wrinkled her nose in revolt and almost left but something red caught her eye...

It was a man, fully preserved in the ice.

"Ma'am? Your eyes..."

"What about them?" She couldn't tear her gaze away from the man in the murky floe.

"They're glowing..." The man was dumbfounded.

"Yeah, well they do that sometimes." She absent-mindedly dismissed his amazement, easily inching out onto the slick bottom of the gully.

"My Qu-"

She raised her hand in his direction and he immediately fell silent. This man, the one in the ice, was... not right. She knelt just above him and gracefully waved her hands above where his head should be, eyes screwed shut. She probed the ice with molecules of her own, testing why she was so drawn to him. His face couldn't be seen well anyways, there was black soil frozen in the ice. But she could make out studded leather and dark shaggy hair, a small pool of blood near his stomach, huge boots and grieves on his shins. A collection of ancient Roman weapons and other paraphernalia was strewn around his body. He was well built, strong. But not terribly tall, more compact and broad of chest than the tall thin men of Italy. He wasn't from here.

_"Oh my god, he's alive!"_

Her eyes snapped open and the Queen scrambled to her feet, standing over the figure. The wind snapped her cloak away from her body and her guard thought she struck an imposing sight with the dirk at her hip. The horsehair in her helm streamed out in the wind and whipped about her head.

"That's not possible!" The man exclaimed, knowing his Queen never lied to him. But a man frozen in ice?! The very thought was preposterous.

The guard was rudely jolted back to reality when a large crack echoed around him. He focused back on his charge and watched her easily lift a block of the murky ice up out of the depths of the gully and rest it high up on the bank, the man encased inside. Her hands held just above her head, fingers splayed wide as if she was holding something large. If her majesty wanted to rescue this man, his first and foremost needed was to assess the situation and determine if this 'Ice Man' posed a threat. Upon further inspection he realized the red that had initially caught the Queen's eye was blood. Pints of it.

"If he _is_ still alive he won't last very long. He's been impaled." He stood by her side, studying the man in the ice. "If we are to save him, he will have to stay in the ice until we can get him back to a city soon."

The Queen nodded and stayed quiet, weighing her options. "Do we still have any contacts under the Medici family? I know they fell out of favor with the Vatican centuries ago but perhaps they must still have some political pull..."

"I can send Eyolf ahead to secure us lodgings in Florence. I think I know of a few men and women that may be able to find a surgeon to aid us. He can take them a copy of your seal."

"Very well. Thank you, Aster. I know I do not act rashly, but this was... Different." She touched his elbow in thanks, her gaze still on her find.

"I know, my lady. That is why you will have no qualms from me on this matter. But... He will be difficult to transport in that block."

The Queen studied the mass for another moment, unaffected by the storm raging around them. The faint music reached them and a suddenly she had an idea.

"Go get Niklas and Vidor, I think I know how we'll take him with us."

* * *

Two months of hard riding saw the caravan enter the Southern gates of Florence, the art centre of Italy. One lone man on horseback rode out to greet the twenty, and swung around the two steeds carrying a man-sized load in a sling between them. There was a lowly Inn just on the inside of the walls where the group filled every room.

The owner of the Inn called _The Barmaid's Stool_ didn't question the terrifying bunch, recognizing the fine quality of their weapons _and_ their money. Nor did he question the odd bundle they carried to the room of the lone woman traveling with them. As far as he knew, he didn't even see the small group of Florence's best surgeon and medical practitioners slip in through the back door. And he most _certainly_ made sure to forget that he heard the woman addressed as 'Queen'. They had paid him enough to leave this rotting hole behind and move his family back home to Certaldo. He was a smart man that knew very well how to keep his mouth shut for the sake of his poorly wife and seven robust children.

Inside the shabby little room all of the men were gathered around the bundle on the bed with the Queen at the headboard. Tallow candles lit the room in a dim yellow glow against the late night seeping in from the lone window. There were four guards present, stationed around the window and door on watch. The assistants to the accomplished medical men were untying the binds of the heavy parcel with deft hands. Gasps echoed around the room when the man in the ice was revealed.

"How did you find this man?" The elderly surgeon asked.

"I found him in a gully at the foot of Mount Garganus." The Queen answered, thankful that she had become quite proficient in her Italian.

"And you are certain he is alive?" He bent low over the ice and tried to make out the face.

"I am certain." Her eyes barely glowed in the diffused light, power beginning to course again through her body now that the man was revealed.

Silence reigned as the men examined the body, pointing out injuries and possible contaminants. With a snap of his fingers the surgeon's three assistants were readying his satchel; removing a leather pouch full of liquid, a tube, and a hollow needle. Other provisions were laid out on the rickety table in the room; gauzes, stitching thread, a handful of tools, herbs, and a small metal bowl were among the items. The pharmacy master took over the second half of the table, beginning to prepare salves and poultices-his own young assistant bringing in two kettles of boiling water. He left his jar of leeches in the bag; the frozen man didn't need to lose any more blood. When all of the men were ready, the surgeon turned back to the still bundled up woman.

"We are going to chip and melt the ice away from his stomach first. If we are to attempt to save this man, this grievous wound must first be cleaned and repaired."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance? Removing ice is not a difficult task for me." The Queen asked, finally feeling safe enough to pull off her mask and remove her helm and cloak.

"My Queen, is that wise?" One of the guards spoke in her ear in their native tongue.

"I insisted upon rescuing this man, I would feel foolish if I didn't offer my help." She answered him while removing her hat, her dirty platinum blonde hair reflecting the light of the tallow candles. The man relented and resumed his post by the window.

The Queen raised her sapphire eyes, ringed in kohl for protection from the sun, to the surgeon and received a curt nod to proceed. They had heard stories of the Queen of Ice and Snow in the North, terrifying stories of how she could freeze people and whole towns with a thought. But this woman was deceiving to their eyes; a beautiful thing caked in dirt and very human looking. A particularly dangerous looking one with a dirk at her left hip and two ancient gladius swords strapped to her back; how she got those he did _not_ want to know. To be in the presence of such a power in the form of this petite regal woman was terrifying. Without hesitation, she took a deep breath and focused on her task, fair hands pulling slowly at the reddened ice above the pale ashen skin of man's stomach. The process was slow, but quicker than it would have been with a pick and hammer and hot water. Within moments, the wound was exposed to the stale air of the room and the stench of old infection wafted up.

The Surgeon was thankful the man had been frozen for so long, the cold had killed the sickness in the blood. But the strange thing was that the man's flesh was not frozen, still pliant under his prodding fingertips. It would make his job much easier than anticipated. He informed the Queen of this and got to work, using the boiling water to clean the site. While he worked to scoop out the old infection puss and cauterize the lung and repair the lobe of the liver that had been clipped, the Queen focused on vaporizing most of the remaining ice around the man's legs and waist, replacing it with her own clean ice. Bits of debris collected on the canvas spread on the straw mattress, her work seamless. When she reached where the surgeon was working she ceased and rested, her fatigue from the day's ride finally catching up to her.

The Queen sat on the edge of the bed, her right leg folded up under her. She saw the young girl who was the pharmacy master's assistant stealing looks at her. The next time the girl looked over the Queen sent her a disarmingly kind smile, which startled the lass. She must look quiet terrifying in her get-up, not looking at all like a member of a Royal Court should. The door creaked open and one of her men entered with a steaming mug. He wove in and out of the bustle and knelt next to the seated Queen, it was Aster and he had a wooden stein full to the brim of mulled wine. He offered it to her with a kind smile, noticing how her shoulders relaxed when she smiled so widely her perfect teeth flashed in the low light.

"Aster, you are too good to me." She chuckled throatily in their tongue, wrapping her pale slim hands around the hot beverage.

"My Queen, when one wants for something enough, sometimes they mention it in their sleep. It isn't our _gløgg_ but it should slake your thirst." He teased, his hazel eyes squinting in laughter under his shaggy blonde brow.

She rolled her eyes and took a healthy sip, sighing in contentment as the mellow spiced red wine and port hit her taste buds. Aster remained kneeling, studying the legs of the man they had found. Leather boots encased his feet, plates of iron woven onto the toes of them and lashed down again with leather thongs. Heavy iron greaves protected his shins, fairly simple but with a second smaller plate on the front, buckle ends on both sides and the strap wrapping around his calves. The corded muscles in his thighs were relaxed, his ashen skin covered in a healthy layer of dirt and blood-both his and not. The Queen was grateful for the smudges of old makeup on her face and the low light of the candles to hide her faint blush as her eyes skimmed over a generous leather and metal plated codpiece. A series of woven leather and metal studded belts wrapped around his sturdy waist and balteas hung from his left hip. She could see he was well muscled, the body of a soldier and survivor, littered with scars underneath all of the oils and mud.

Aster watched his Queen out of the corner of her eye, amusement flickering across his rugged face when he saw the appreciation well disguised in her eyes. He only knew that expression because his own daughters had that very look when they laid eyes upon men that caught their fancy. He had come to know the Queen well over her life, protecting her father and mother when she was just a babe in swaddling. She was like another one of his children, and she knew it. Aster had become her father figure in the past few years, and on this frantic trip he had begun to teach her to defend herself-just as he had to his three boys at home. He feared that he wouldn't be able to get to her in time and just wanted to make sure she could protect herself. The Queen had consented willingly and attacked her training with vigor, something he had not thought she would do. He had thought she would refuse but the grace and elegance she used in the courts was channeled into learning the dance of the sword. Aster was quite proud of her growth not just as a woman, but a leader worthy to rule Arendelle. Her dedication and cool head during their flight only proved it to be so.

While they had sat quietly, the surgeon had repaired as much as he could and sewn up the hole. He cleaned his tools off and took one of the poultices from the pharmacy master, placing it onto the stitched up suture and applying a generous amount of plaster to it and sealing it to the man's body.

"Your Majesty, if you wouldn't mind closing the ice and turning him over? I am ready to continue."

The Queen hopped up and let Aster hold her half-empty stein. Feeling rejuvenated from the warming drink, she focused again and pushed her powers to her fingertips. She reached out and perfect clear ice materialized over the patched wound. Next she scooped her hands down and up, gently lifting the man and turning him facedown on the canvas. Her hands pulled again and the murky ice covering the entry point of the huge puncture was exposed. The surgeon switched sides of the bed, gesturing for his oldest apprentice to approach. They conversed for a moment, trying to find the best way to continue. This side of the wound was much worse, torn open and jagged. The surgeon nodded his head and looked around for the Queen, finding her at the foot of the bed, replacing the ice on the backs of the man's legs now.

"Your Majesty," She paused in her graceful dance. "Would it be too much to ask if you were to expose his entire back and the back of his left elbow?" He guided the apprentice around the bed, gesturing to the leather skin on the table.

"Not at all, just a moment."

The dance began anew and the broad back of the man shone in the poor yellowed light moments later, quickly followed by the preferred elbow. The surgeon rested his hand flat between the man's shoulder blades and fell still for a full minute. When it was up he nodded, pleased, and the apprentice slapped the lax vein on the outside of the man's elbow with his fingers. He then connected the needle to the tube and the tube to the bottom of the bag. A thick dark liquid slowly began to drain down the tube, and when the light from a candle reflected on the floor where a few drops had spilled did the Queen realize it was blood.

"A new practice I'm trying. Sometimes the body cannot reproduce the blood quick enough, so a person with a special kind can give a pint to help others. It has worked before, I can only hope it can again." The surgeon addressed her confused look as the apprentice pierced the barely-raised vein in the man's arm.

While the Queen continued her earlier tasks, the surgeon made quick work of the patient. Luckily he had been able to do most of the internal repair from the front, but much of the infection puss had settled to this side of the wound. It was a nasty job, but one that needed to be done. They both worked as quickly as they dared, long into the night. When the surgeon was finally finishing up, the Queen had replaced all of the ice except for around the man's head and on his chest. The blood bag was now empty, the transference of its contents complete. They were all exhausted and the young ruler thanked the man profusely for his help. He was pleased with how humble she was and it improved his opinion of her, despite the crazy task he had just completed. He gave her written instructions for the next surgeon she sought out but made sure to explain them to her as well. This woman was very intelligent… unlike some of the women in the courts. The surgeon had the blood bag switched out for another and left it on a makeshift stand of a chair and a few dowels. As he left with his apprentices the pharmacy master completed the task with another poultice and plaster. He too gave her a small bag of medicines pre-prepared with his own set of instructions to change the dressings as soon as they had gotten him to the next stop. He stressed to let the sutures breath and to watch for new infection before departing himself.

Aster watched the Queen organize the medical supplies on the table before approaching the bed again. He could feel her exhaustion but he knew telling her to stop and rest would only earn him a mild glare. She drained the cold remains of her wine and stretched briefly, shaking her arms out. He knew she had forgotten about the blades on her back when she noticed the jangle of the buckles, having grown accustomed to the familiar weight. She shucked the leather harness and gently set the gladiuses on one of the chunky wooden chairs, then pulled off the heavy fur tunic. Underneath she was dressed in a simple black wool men's kirtle, the heavy fabric loose on her frame. He didn't realize how thin she really was, the thick fur pants adding to that illusion. There was still some clean water left from the procedure but it was now room temperature. It would have to do for now… he'd go and heat some more. Aster picked up her empty cup and left for the door, watching her approach the bed again.

"My Queen, I'll go fetch some more hot water. Do you wish for anything to eat or drink?"

"Um-yes, please. Anything simple. And some more of that wine will be fine. Thank you…" She answered absent mindedly, her hands already rising again.

He suppressed a chuckle and slipped out the door quietly, leaving the Queen to work. When she heard the door click shut she relaxed her stance again and let curiosity get the better of her. Her feet led her directly to the bed, her knees pressing into the side of the mattress. Tentatively she reached out, pressing the cool pads of her fingers to the man's dirt smeared back. He was just as cold as her, but oddly not any cooler. Her fingers splayed and her palm rested flat on the very center of his back, where the surgeon's had a few hours before. Deep inside his body the slow steady thump of his heart reverberated, at least pushing blood through his veins. She didn't know if he needed to breath and didn't know where to begin if he did. If he had stayed alive this long, perhaps it would be best to just seal him up again and leave it at that. But her other hand joined its partner and felt his heartbeat and it soothed her conscious for just a moment longer.

The Queen took a deep breath and slowly pulled the ice back onto the man's back, riding herself of the temptation to keep her hands resting above his heart. When the broad shoulders had been covered, she had observed the left was encased in an elaborate shoulder guard of plated leather and iron with thick leather straps wrapping under his right arm across his ribs and around his left bicep. She tried not to gawk at the hard mass of sinew and tendon in his arm, amazed with the amount of strength that probably lay hidden in them. Once he was fully encased she continued to replace the ice around his head, exposing and recovering limp raven locks, the cord of a doubled necklace peeking out from under them. The Queen frowned and gently flipped the man again, rearranging the full blood bag and again pulling the contaminated ice away from his body before replacing it. She had to stop a second time at his hands, big strong mean looking appendages that dwarfed hers. Mismatched bracers of leather and iron were wrapped around his solid wrists; the expanse of his burly arms marred with the thin light lines of old scars and smudged with black dirt and blood. She encased them quickly, ready to be done and go to bed.

The door cracked open again and Aster entered with two more steaming mugs and a tray, the mousey wife of the Inn Keeper following closely with two full kettles of boiling water. The Queen halted abruptly in her motions, not giving the older woman a glimpse at her powers. Aster clomped into the room and deposited his load on the table, the young matriarch gratefully receiving the fresh cup from him. They waited until the little woman had left the two kettles on the table as well before scurrying out. The Queen took a few small sips of the drink and set it back down on the table, pinching off a bite of bread and popping it into her mouth. Aster watched her chew, deep in thought as she meandered back to the man in ice. He saw her brace herself and then in three fell swoops, vanished the ice from the man's chest and head.

"That's better… just needed a little to eat." She grinned over her shoulder to him.

A deep gravely chuckled finally escaped from his chest. "You are just as feisty as your baby sister."

"Hmph, I know. I just know how to hide it." Amusement colored her voice as she turned back to the newly uncovered man.

His chest was immense and thick with muscle, the black cord of the necklace decorated with simple silver interlocked charms rested in the hollow of his throat. Black shaggy hair was a tangled mess on his brow and a thick beard grew on the lower half of his face. He still wasn't breathing. The Queen reached down, feeling her guard by her side, and swept the hair out of his eyes, exposing long dark lashes under an equally dark brow. The bridge of his nose was almost as broad as his nostrils but the profile was fairly straight. She could tell it had been broken and fixed a couple times. A dark crescent scar circled under the outside corner of his right eye and then appeared again just above his brow. He was very handsome, and the Queen could see his chiseled jaw under his scruff. Dried rusty blood stained his lips and chin; they reasoned he must have coughed it up when he had been impaled.

The Queen stepped away and soaked a clean rag in the room-temperature water; lightly wringing it out and bringing it back to the bed. Aster had pulled back his eyelids, revealing dark brown bloodshot eyes. He stepped to the side and watched the young woman wipe the man's face clean, his ashen skin and gray lips staining the cloth. She was gentle, and he had never seen her perform any kind of task like this before. It made him realize that she had done this before-care for someone, and his mind dredged up the horrible ordeal with that Prince, _no_, _King_ Adam from two years ago. She must have taken care of him when he passed. The thought made his heart ache for the busy woman next to him, her delicate hands barely touching the man's face.

With the job finished, the Queen tossed the filthy rag into the basin and retrieved her drink. She quickly ate a meager meal and left half for Aster, aware that he refused to eat before her. When he offered her more of the food she only shook her head and stood over the ancient man holding her cup. Aster watched her carefully press her hand flat to his chest and close her eyes for a moment. He was about to make a teasing remark when her eyes flew open in shock. She jumped up and away from the bed, hastily dumping her cup on the table. He watched her in alarm as her grimaced in concentration, her eyes focused on his chest, hands gently tugging at ice that wasn't there-or so he thought. It didn't take long for icy liquid dyed a sickening black red to seep from the man's parted lips. His lungs must have had frozen blood and water in them.

A swirl of her fingers and a flick of her wrist drained out the last of the fluid, then banished it to the basin on the table. She stood stock still, slightly hunched over him, her eyes roving over his face and hands at the ready. After a long moment his chest rose with a rattling breath and the Queen grasped Aster's forearm in palpable relief. Slowly, the man established a shallow breathing rhythm that grew steadier by the minute. Aster glanced down at the young woman clinging to his arm and could see a mixture of emotions rampaging behind her gleaming eyes. He filed that observation away for another time and quickly finished his meal.

"My Queen, we should get some rest. I'll move him to th-"

"No, he can stay there."

"But-"

"I'll be fine, Aster. Sleeping on a wooden floor will at least be better than the ground."

"He's encased in ice and still unconscious. I don't think he'll mind sleeping on the floor either." He argued, pulling out his parent voice.

The Queen huffed at him and frowned, conceding to that fact. With her raising the man up, Aster quickly moved the heavy canvas down onto the floor. Now that he had convinced her to not give her bed away, his next step was to figure out how to make her actually _sleep_ in it. He decided for the direct approach.

"I want you to get cleaned up. Wash your face, get in that bed, and go to sleep. Don't stay up and watch him, I'll roll my furs out next to him and if he makes a peep I'll wake you."

The Queen blinked owlishly at him and gave up; knowing that to argue with him would mean neither one of them would sleep. So she drained her mug a second time, picked up another clean rag and vanished the murky water in the basin before filling it with hot water from one of the kettles. While the older man got his pallet ready to sleep on, the Queen did her best to clean her face, rubbing at her fair skin with the nappy rag. She had forgotten how wonderful it felt to have a clean face and was so close to just dumping the rest of the kettle over her head. Instead she rolled her sleeves up past her elbows and did her best to wipe the dirt away. After a somewhat successful attempt she gave up and toed her boots off before climbing into bed. She groaned in appreciation as her muscles relaxed and huffed through her nose when Aster chuckled at her again. He bid her goodnight and she promptly fell asleep, unaware that he had extinguished the candles.

* * *

The morning came too early for the Queen and she had to bite back a whine when Aster shook her awake. She rolled over and hung her head off the side of the bed, checking to see if the Ice Man was still there. He was. Everything after that was a whirlwind of packing and readying the horses, the men intent on getting their monarch safely out of the city before dawn. They were riding hard across the plains just as the sun began to rise over the _Duomo_ in the distance. The Queen had caught a glimpse of Michelangelo's famous _David_, standing outside of the old Uffizi mansion in the heart of Florence as they rode through. She didn't like their choice of route, but it was quicker and dryer than circling around the city and forging across the river.

If the platoon were to arrive back within the next few months, it would be a _very_ fast tour through the center of Europe. And it was.


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for posting, taking down, and then reposting the first chapter. I figured since this story is 90% in the Frozen Universe then it would be a stretch to have it as an actual crossover with Spartacus. Minor details. Blah blah blee bloo blah.**

_**Thank you**_** to the really sweet person who left the first review to this story, this chapter is for you. BUT PLEASE SIGN IN SO I CAN ACTUALLY TALK TO YOU. ;A; *****cries*******

**And also, I'm glad many of you enjoyed **_**Magnetism**_**. I can honestly say I felt like I was on something when I wrote that. I don't know if I'll ever write any more Elsanna, but it was… **_**really**_** fun.**

**Chapter 3 of 60 Minutes is also in progress. I hope to have that chapter finished soon as well.**

**And we soldier on, with chapter two.**

To Wake in a Strange Place

Horns trumpeted all throughout the quaint cobblestone streets of Arendelle in the early morning, valiantly heralding the return of their Queen. The people had been worried sick for their young Royal, anxiously awaiting news from the castle on her whereabouts. Bells rang from the steeples and men and women and children dropped what they were doing to run to the city gates. Deafening cheers arose when their Queen Elsa thundered into Arendelle with her guard in close formation behind her. Her hood was down and helm absent, her platinum blonde hair was braided back and streaked with black silt yet she held her head high. She was a striking presence, looking even wilder than when she had first arrived in Florence all those months ago yet just as elegant as she ever had to them. Fur cloaks billowed out behind the riders, their rugged and unshaven faces schooled into impassive masks, gazes locked on their path to the Castle gate but tinged with relief to finally be back home. The crowd followed them as fast as they could, paying no attention to the bundle slung in between two horses in the middle of the procession.

In the Castle, Princess Anna ungracefully fell out of bed in tangle of sheets and onto the floor with an audible _oof_ when her husband Kristoff burst into their bedroom.

"_It's Elsa! She's back!_" He bellowed, throwing Anna's dressing gown across the room and sprinting back out, unaware that he had successfully nailed her in the face with the balled up cotton.

"_AUGH! KRISTOFF!"_ She shouted and struggled to her feet, looking dumbly at her gown. Suddenly it clicked and she screeched. "ELSA'S BACK!"

The young red head forwent the gown and threw on one of her normal wear dresses, jamming her feet into her flats and tying her hair back in a low tail as she ran out the door. Anna sprinted through the castle, catching up to and passing the huffing Kristoff then vaulting over a confused Olaf. The Princess suppressed a shiver as she leapt through the little flurry that constantly trailed the animated snowman. He had been their only reassurance that Elsa hadn't met an untimely end. She barreled down the steps to the main entrance and right out the already open painted front doors. She skid to a halt just as a group of tribal looking men burst through the gates led by a terrifying warrior woman. Anna gaped when the woman pulled her horse up short to the head groomsman and dismounted. When she turned and addressed one of the wild men looming over her only then did Anna realize that it was Elsa.

"Elsa?!" She exclaimed, catching the Queen's attention.

She turned startled, her bright blue eyes wide. They were outlined with kohl and her eyelids were darkened with the stuff as well. Black mud streaked her nearly white hair and she had new piercings in her ears. Her face was dirty; gray and black earth flecked her thick furs. Anna didn't know how she wasn't burning up in the mid spring. The handles of two swords protruded from under her cloak above her shoulders and a smaller blade was tucked in her belt. She may look every part the warrior woman but she was acting like the Queen and sister she had always known. It was almost obscenely out of place how far the gap was between appearance and action. But it didn't stop Anna. Elsa smiled wildly and threw her arms open to catch her screeching sister, letting out a rare girlish squeal of her own and nearly got bowled over in the process. She was glad she was wearing her trusty leather boots-if she had been in heels her balance surely would have been tipped.

"_Oh my GOD where have you been?!_ We were all so worried when the guard came back without you! I mean I knew you'd be okay but after hearing what happened in Rome I was _so_ scared." She squeezed Elsa tightly around the ribs, pressing her face into her sister's neck. "And then you didn't let us know what was going on and we didn't have any kind of news!"

"Anna-" Elsa pried her sister off of her.

"And Kristoff convinced his family to get an information tree going so we could try and find out where you were, but they lost you after you crossed over the Alps-"

"Wait, what?"

"And then-_oh my god you stink!_"

Elsa deadpanned and watched her sister wrinkle her nose in disgust and take a large step back, fanning the air in front of her face.

"Like really _really_ stink. Worse than wet Sven rolling-in-his-own-poop stink. _Good god when was the last time you washed?_"

"_Thank_ you, Anna. I am aware that I smell. I've been traveling out of sight for months so I didn't really have that luxury." She drawled with a sculpted eyebrow arched just as Kristoff huffed and puffed up to them and then swept Elsa off her feet in a bone-crushing hug.

"Kristoff! Don't hug her go dump her in a bathtub! Better yet the fjord! The woman reeks to high heaven!" Anna cried dramatically.

"Why?" He set his giggling sister in law back on her feet. "She doesn't smell! Well, maybe like a horse but-"

"_Kristoff take my side!_" Anna fussed and stamped her foot.

"Don't worry Anna, I will soon." Elsa kissed her sister on the cheek. "But Kristoff, can you fetch your grandfather for me please?"

"Grand Pabbie? Uh, sure! Do you want me to go get him right now?"

"If possible, yes. I am in need of his counsel."

"Of course! I'll go get Sven saddled…" He trailed off, spun in a circle once, and then galloped off to the stables.

Anna watched him go in exasperation. "Some days I _really_ wonder why I married that man…"

Elsa laughed lightly and pulled a small parcel out of one of the pockets in her trousers, handing the gift to her little sister. "Here, we stopped near Venice and I was able to convince Aster to give me a day of rest. I was able to take a boat over to Murano."

"Aww Elsa you didn't have to…" She whined unconvincingly, taking the package wrapped in stained parchment and eagerly ripped the string off. Elsa waited quietly, hand on her hip as her sister unwrapped a simple set of beautiful glass earrings. They were the color of Anna's eyes and were flecked with gold. The younger sister gasped and immediately put them on, more than happy with her gift.

"Oh they're _perfect!_ Thank you so much!" She gushed, forgetting her earlier complaints and pulling her older sister into another tight hug. "_Urgh_. Oh I just don't care, I'm so happy you're safe." She mumbled, her voice trembling with threatening tears.

"Hey, it's okay Anna. I'm not going anywhere for a while yet. I'll stay right here with you and Kristoff." Elsa reassured her, rubbing her sister's back.

Anna leaned back and looked her sister straight in the eye, taking Elsa's face in her hands. "Promise?"

"Promise." Elsa grinned and stepped back just as Aster approached.

"My Queen, where should we take our cargo?" He asked discretely, unsure if she had broken the news to the Princess yet.

"Take it to my study, please. I've already-" She was cut off by a great rumble, the ground vibrating eerily. Aster stepped in front of the Queen and Princess, putting himself between them and the approaching sound.

Kristoff galloped back into the courtyard on Sven, a multitude of various sized moss-covered boulders following quickly in his wake. Elsa stared wide-eyed with her newly arrived guard, but they were the only ones surprised. Sven skid to a halt, nearly throwing his rider and snorted like a big dog, his rear wiggling furiously when he spotted Elsa.

"Anna? Since when did the Trolls start showing themselves in broad daylight?" She asked a little faintly.

"I told you, since they decided to help look for you! Sure it was odd for everyone else since they weren't used to boulders rolling around on their own, but what can you do?" She shrugged just as they all popped up onto their stumpy little legs, a clamor of voices rising in shouts of jubilation.

The children scampered up to her and hugged her about the legs, babbling over each other about how they missed her and what had gone on while she was away. It was more than a little overwhelming but finally a particularly grand boulder pushed up to her and the children fell silent. Grand Pabbie rose to his full height of two-and a half feet and bowed in respect, Elsa returned it.

"Queen Elsa, it is a huge relief to see you alive and well. We had all worried for your safety. Kristoff told me you asked for my assistance?"

"Thank you, and yes. Though, I would rather speak inside away from stray ears."

The troll bowed and shooed the children and rest of the family off. The Queen unclasped her heavy cloak and gave it to the grinning head butler, Kai. "I know it should probably just be burned, but do you think I could have this cleaned and returned to me? I've grown attached to it."

"I can try, your majesty." The portly man acquiesced, his face glowing with happiness at her safe return.

"Thank you, Kai. Now." She turned to the group and clasped her hands in front of her. "Would you all please follow me, there is… _something_ you all need to know."

Curious eyes followed the Queen and her head of guard for just a moment, bodies finally springing into action when she turned and looked at them pointedly. It was perfect timing too because the families of the guard that had rode with her were just now entering the castle gates. Anna caught up with her first and couldn't help herself,

"Elsa, you've changed." She informed her, linking an arm with her sister.

"Really? How?" She asked, genuinely curious. She knew she had changed a lot over the past few years, but the last time Anna had said something like this, she had been at her very worst in her Castle of Ice on the North Mountain.

"Well, it's just-you're a Queen. But you don't look like a Queen. Well I mean you do, but you don't. Kinda like a Warrior Queen, which is kinda hot-_not that I think that because you're my sister_ but uh… I'm sure some people do?" She stumbled over her words in typical Anna fashion. "But _anyways_. A few moments before you saw me you didn't _act_ like a Queen. You were… savage almost? But then it was like you just flipped a switch and you were the Queen again, all regal and calm and stuff." She finished, her free hand gesturing emphatically. Aster and Kristoff chuckled silently behind the two women, the later shushing a snorting Sven. Grand Pabbie rolled on as silently as a boulder could with them. Olaf and his little gray cloud rounded the corner and he exclaimed his little squealing gasp of his perpetual happiness and squished his way over to Elsa, who reached down and gave him a hug. She took his little twiggy hand in the pale fingers of her free hand and continued on.

"I did? I mean, I had to go through a pretty tough trip, I didn't think I'd changed…" Elsa wondered aloud as they strode though the front door, the clamor in the courtyard quickly muffled.

"You're carrying ancient blades of _death on your back_."

"Oh! I completely forgot they were there…" Elsa reached over her right shoulder with their arms still linked and touched the hilt of the gladius, then noticed the bug-eyed look she was getting from her sister. "But uh- they aren't mine! Well they _are_ but I don't _use_ them." She clarified, a bit of a nervous scoff in her voice.

Anna hmmm'd at her sister and narrowed her blue eyes and stared at Elsa unblinkingly, trying to figure out what she was hiding. Elsa was able to stand it until they were up the stairs and making their way down the hall to her study before she cracked under the pressure.

"_Stop looking at me like that!_"

"There are a _whole_ lot of holes in your story, missy! Why are you imitating Joan, huh?"

"Joan?" She wriggled out of Anna's grasp and let go of Olaf's hand, much to his disappointment. He squished on ahead and disappeared into the Queen's study.

"Of _Arc?_ You're all _Battle Queen_ on me now!"

"_Battle Queen?!_"

"What are you not telling me! Is there someone in your life now?" She asked in all seriousness, jabbing a finger in Elsa's direction, circling around and walking backwards in front of the flustered monarch.

"_What?!_ No!"

"_THE BLUSH ON YOUR FACE TELLS ME YOU'RE LYING!"_ She screeched dramatically.

"Anna!" Elsa cried then pulled up short when her sister froze in her tracks and gasped.

"_Are you a lesbian now?!"_

The Queen's response was a firm "_NO._" and a hefty snowball to the face. _That_ got a laugh from the men following. The young red head shook her head and hop-skipped after her sister.

"Well then, grumpy-mcgrumpy pants, why are you so flustered if-"

"Hey Queen Elsa! Did you know there's a man in ice on your study floor?" Olaf called to the flustered monarch in his normal oblivious and rather air-headed behavior, his small flurry cloud trailing behind him.

Elsa ground to a halt and groaned in frustration, burying her red face in her hands. She _knew_ that this would be taken _completely_ the wrong way. Stupid, bumbling, loveable snowman… Anna crossed her arms across her chest and donned the smuggest expression they had ever seen on her face.

"_No_, huh? Weee-hee-heeellllll we got us a liar here, Ooooolaf!" Anna gloated, rocking back on her heels. "What _else_ could she be hiding, hmm? _Ooof!"_ Her crowing cut short by another much larger snowball to the face. "AUGH! _Cold!_"

"A liar? Well that guy in there is lying already so it can't be him!" Olaf guffawed.

"Elsa is-_hey_! Where are you going?"

Elsa paused and let her head loll back, her eyes rolled to the ceiling. "Apparently going to go make sure I don't have any other secrets to hide from you."

"Now look what you've done, feisty pants. She hasn't even been home an hour!" Kristoff teased and took Anna by the shoulders, guiding her after her sister and steering clear of Pabbie who rolled ahead.

"Well she _could_ have _told_ me." She whined, flopping her head back onto his chest dramatically.

"You _did_ barrel full-steam ahead over her with your infamous awkward rambling."

Anna grumbled and let herself be walked into the grand study that Elsa used for all of her personal matters. The windows were thrown wide open, letting in the warm spring breeze and bright sunlight of the clear morning. Next to the hearth a huge bundle of canvas lay a few feet away from the small fire that had been stoked. Elsa was standing over it arms crossed, her expression full of uncharacteristic worry as Pabbie stood quiet with his hand on it. The Princess let her curiosity get the better of her and slunk up to her sister's side. She let out a gasp when she realized that Olaf hadn't been lying-not that he _would_ lie in the first place.

"Oh my _god_…"

The Queen nodded in agreement and knelt at the man's side, her delicate hands grasping the stiff canvas and whipping it open. Anna's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"_That._ Is a _man._" She gaped, receiving an indignant look from her husband. "Oh! But you're the only man for me honey, don't worry." She patted him on the chest, eyes still glued to the Ice Man.

Kristoff harrumphed and busied himself by helping Elsa completely unwrap the man. His body had been kept in an odd stasis, breathing normally and pumping blood through his veins, but the body rejected any kind of food. And yet the man's metabolism didn't regulate, it was nearly non-existent. The three and one reindeer and a curious snow man watched the Queen make quick work of the ice surrounding the body, exposing the pale yet healthier looking skin. There was a puckered scar on the man's stomach; little white pockmarks remained where stitches had been removed. Just as quickly as he had been revealed, Aster bundled him back up to keep him warm. They had periodically defrosted him to move his legs and arms around to keep the muscles from stiffening, so they had no trouble rearranging him.

"You're in luck, my Queen." Pabbie finally spoke. "There is ice in the head but not the heart. Shall I remove it?"

"Yes, please. I don't think there's any better time." She sighed, and sat back on her rear with her feet tucked under her, a now comfortable position that she had gotten quiet used to.

Pabbie nodded solemnly, studying the Queen's now stony visage.

"This ice was not put there by you." He stated.

"I found him this way." Pabbie remained silent for a moment with Elsa's confirmation, wording his next response.

"The last time you saw me do this it was a work of concealing. This is only an awakening. This time, I fear there may be some… unsavory consequences." He warned, his golden-green crystals glowing softly on his chest and lighting his solemn face.

The only response he got was Elsa setting her jaw, determination shining in her bright eyes. The old Troll sighed heavily and relented, reaching deep down and sweeping his hand up and away from the man's forehead. Ice blue and blood red crystals blossomed into the air, swirling with visions of animalistic rage. Scenes of a sandy arena soaked in blood clashed with the fierce battle of ancient Roman Gladiators, big burly men training in the hot sun, nights full of nobles and wine and sex. Elsa scrutinized the fantastical pandemonium, quickly studying and memorizing as much as she could before it faded into nothingness. The last memory of the man made her heart hurt, a beautiful woman killed before him-one he obviously loved. She could practically feel the eyes of Kristoff, Anna, Olaf and Aster on the back of her head, trying to read her reaction. But Queen Elsa kept her face as smooth as the ice she created, blank of any emotion.

Pabbie stepped back and watched the man continue to breath evenly. After a long moment, Elsa reached out carefully and rested her hand flat on his chest just over his heart. The touch made the man inhale deeply and mumble in an old tongue they didn't recognize, his deep gravelly voice muffled behind an uncooperative tongue. Anna gasped and drew closer to Kristoff, not because she was scared but startled. She didn't know what she had expected but it was surprising nonetheless. Aster had taken a step closer and Sven and Olaf had perked up in curiosity. The Queen continued to listen to the soft babble spilling from the man's chapped lips, and sat up straight when she realized it was an old dialect of Latin.

"_Salve?"_ She called quietly, leaning over the man.

"Elsa?" Anna called, taking a shuffling step towards her sister.

"He's speaking Latin." She muttered and called to him again.

The man groaned lowly in pain, his eyes moving rapidly under his still closed lids as if he were trapped in a nightmare. Elsa was patient, keeping her hand gently resting on his still-cool skin in what she hoped to be a comforting gesture. Suddenly his right hand burst free from the canvas and trapped her hand to his chest. He wasn't hurting her, but the sharp movement startled a gasp out of her. Aster and Kristoff both jolted forward to her aid but she flung her free hand up in a 'wait' gesture. His wide palm was firmly pressed flat to the back of her hand, long sturdy fingers splaying out over hers. Elsa learned up on her knees so her face was directly over his, using her free hand to balance herself.

"_Salve?_" She tried again softly, feeling her sister kneel right behind her to her right, her own slim hand on the small of Elsa's back.

The man's eyes barely cracked open, dazed and full of confusion. "_Where am I?_" He rasped.

"_Safe._" The Queen answered, extremely grateful that she had paid attention to her tutors all those years ago. His dark eyes wandered across the ceiling, eventually locking onto her face.

"_Who are you?"_

"Elsa." She replied simply. Giving him time to process where he was and how he was alive.

"_Where am I?_" He repeated tiredly, his eyes locked on hers.

"_Safe. In my home._"

The answer seemed to be enough for him for now, but then the gears started turning again. "_What of Spartacus?_"

"Spartacus…? _I do not know this man, I am sorry._" She answered him, quickly ordering Aster to find the tome of Ancient Roman History on the shelf of historical books behind her desk. She had never been so thankful that books had been her friends when she had locked herself away. Aster flipped quickly through the parchment pages and found the passage to help the Queen.

"Spartacus, a Thracian Gladiator who was one of the slave leaders in the Third Servile War. He and four Gauls: Crixus, Oenomaus, Castus, and Gannicus led the forces. It was a huge uprising against Rome around 72 BC…" He trailed off, disbelief plain on his face when it hit home how old this man truly was. "He was killed in battle in 71 BC, on the bank of the Sele River. His death ended the slave rebellion and the 6000 survivors were crucified along the Appian Way from Rome to Capua…"

Elsa swallowed hard and pressed her lips into a thin line, trying to figure out how to answer the man staring at her. She finally looked at him and shook her head gently.

"_Spartacus died a hero, a very long time ago."_

"_How long?"_ The man pressed, grief choking his voice.

"_Millenniums._"

Confusion swept over his face, her statement sending his mind reeling. He studied her, filthy and in furs with two gladius swords on her back-but that was where the familiarity ended. The room he was in was so different from anything he had ever seen. It was painted and plastered, the furniture on elegant spindly legs, the ceilings vaulted and not a brick in the walls to be seen. It _scared_ him but he could tell his body was too weak to get up and run. He was trapped here. The people staring at him behind the strange woman were dressed in rich confining garb, not at all like the gauzy robes of the _praetors_ and their wives. He looked back at the calm woman, his eyes wild with terror.

"_WHERE AM I?_" He cried, his voice cracking, fingers curling around her slim hand. Her cool right hand rested on his forehead, brushing the greasy hair away from his perspiring brow.

"_Safe, in my Kingdom in the North, far above where Scandinavia used to be. No one will hurt you here._"

He processed this for a moment then asked, "_Was the battle won?"_

Elsa just shook her head slowly, letting her hand fall away from his face as tears leaked from his eyes.

"_And Naevia is gone._"

Elsa didn't answer this time at all, the sympathy in her eyes apparent. The man recognized this and knew that she had also experienced loss before. That brought him a strange comfort that she knew how he felt, despite the hollowness from the knowledge of their defeat.

"Elsa? What is he saying?" Anna whispered, her eyes trained on the distressed man.

"He's… grieving." She answered dumbly, deciding she'd answer questions later in counsel.

"Elsa…" The man tried her name on his tongue, gaining the blonde woman's attention again.

"_What is your name, Gladiator?_" She asked him neutrally.

The man stared up at her with black eyes, flat except for the strong emotion of self-disgust. His voice cracked brokenly with his next response,

"_I am Crixus, the defeated Gaul._"


	3. Chapter 3

**Woo chapter three!**

No Longer Capua's Champion…

Elsa sighed heavily and sloshed the hot gray bathwater over her shoulders, the opaque liquid covering just above her breasts. She had been able to scrub most of the dirt off of her pale skin but her hair was still braided back. She wrinkled her nose in disgust, figuring she _should_ have first jumped in the fjord as Anna had suggested _before_ attempting to wash the months of grime off her body. She at least had the sense to take the razor to her legs and underarms after her first scrub. The Queen grumbled again and heaved herself to her feet, stepping out of the tub and snagging her bathrobe, wrapping it tightly about her body. With two flicks of her wrist the water froze and vanished in the blink of an eye. Luckily they had contracted a group of men to construct the new marvel of indoor plumbing two years before so Elsa didn't have to call up for more clean water-she just twisted the knobs. She waited somewhat impatiently while the steaming water filled the carved marble tub again, watching the fresh liquid pour from the elaborate metal spigot.

_Finally_ it was full and the Queen stripped off her robe again and tossed it onto the wooden chair next to the tub. Elsa submerged her body again, scrubbing her tender skin one more time with the thick lye soap. Mostly satisfied with that task, she began to unbraid her hair just as Anna's playful rap echoed on the door.

"Don't come in, I'm in the bath!" She called, finally working the ends of her locks free.

The door creaked open anyways and Anna slipped though, shutting it quickly behind her. Elsa wrapped her arms about her chest and hunched over in the hot water.

"_Anna!_" She cried, more than a little frazzled.

"I know, I know, you're a grown woman and I shouldn't barge in on you! But I thought you'd just like some help with your hair…" She explained sheepishly, keeping her eyes glued to the tile floor and slapping on her best kicked-puppy expression. "I just… You were gone for so long, I was afraid I'd never see you again."

Elsa immediately slouched in defeat and Anna took that as an okay sign to approach. She draped the damp robe over the back of the chair and pushed it right next to the tub. Elsa watched her roll up her sleeves and then scooted around to get a bit closer to where her little sister was seated. The strawberry blonde made quick work of the twisted plait, picking out bits and pieces of debris that had worked their way in. They sat in silence for the time being, Anna unusually quiet for her usually boisterous self. After Crixus had revealed who he was he refused to do anything else but lie in front of the hearth and sip the watery weak broth he was offered. The Queen had pulled her and Kristoff and Aster aside, quickly filling them in on the short conversation she had with him. She had then taken the time to gently explain to Olaf that he should stay away from the strange man for the time being. When he asked why, Anna jumped in and explained that he wasn't used to seeing a 'super cool living snow man' and the shock would probably kill him. Only then did the snow man relent, gasping dramatically and squishing out of the study, his little cloud trailing frantically behind him. Elsa had then asked them to let the servants know to keep his new quarters as simple as possible to try and make him feel more at home. There had been a spare guest bedroom at the end of the East wing and the Queen herself had personally made sure he was properly settled before she allowed herself a bath. Elsa had shown him how to work the tub in the small water closet adjacent to the room and called for an assortment of clothing for him. When she had left, the man thanked her in his hollow voice and went promptly to sleep.

"What do you think will happen to him?" Anna finally asked, working her fingers through her sister's stiff locks.

"I don't know… I don't even know why I decided to bring him back with me…" Elsa murmured; her eyes sliding closed in relief as her hair was freed. "Stupid powers…"

"Your powers?" Anna retrieved the earthenware jug from the floor, using it to pour water over Elsa's head.

"_Hmmm_ that feels nice… Um, yes. It just… reached out to where he was. It didn't even cross my mind to just leave him there."

"_Really_? It didn't have anything to do with that he's a totally _hunk_?" Anna teased, grabbing the lilac shampoo her sister favored.

Her gentle ribbing earned her a less than half-hearted glare from her sister right before she attacked her hair with goopy hands. "No but seriously, that man is a fine example."

"Anna, you're married."

"Hey, I love Kristoff! There's no way I'd ever look at another like I do at him, but I'm allowed to make an observation. I mean, Kristoff is big and strong and all but he doesn't have crazy defined muscles like _Crixus the Gaul_."

Elsa huffed a laugh and enjoyed the feeling of her sister scrubbing her hair and massaging her scalp. "Well, you aren't wrong. He's an attractive man. But I'm not ready for that kind of commitment again. Maybe not ever."

"It's been years, Elsa… Do you still miss Adam that much?" Anna asked gently, threading her sudsy fingers through long platinum locks.

"I do… but it's more that I don't know if I can stand to have my heart broken like that again." She whispered; her brow crinkling and making her look older than her twenty-five years.

"You've been alone most of your life, Elsa…"

"_I know_, I just… I know…"

"It's okay, I'm sorry. I'm being pushy." Anna worked another glob of shampoo into her sister's hair, missing the forlorn look that flashed across her face.

"Let's talk about something else. Please." The Queen pleaded, eager to change the subject.

"Okay, theeeen how about you tell me what happened in Rome?" The young red head scrubbed vigorously at a section of hair at Elsa's right temple, fighting the thick coat of dirt and old tree rosin. "Geeze, did you roll in a pig style or something?"

"Har har… But to answer your question, they were waiting for me in my guest chambers. If I hadn't decided to have a spur of the moment meeting with Aster, I'm sure I'd be dead."

"Well I'm glad you're not." Anna quipped, reigning in her frazzled anger. "What happened next?"

"We immediately informed the Roman Senate that we would be leaving at first light. We left on amicable terms though with a new trade agreement so they were _very_ understanding of my problem when I cut the visit a month short. We traveled hard all through the first day and then made the switch with my double that night in the Inn."

"Yes, I'm glad that the meetings went well. The sheep and goat herders are doing very well thanks to the new textile trade materials export they can finally use. The one good thing about you being gone is that it gave me a pretty frantic crash course on how to run a Kingdom. I _never_ want to do that again, _kapish_?"

"Aye aye, captain. I'll be sure to never pass the Rule to you." Elsa smirked, her eyebrows rising in mock haughtiness.

"Good. Heaven forbid I actually have to rule my home Kingdom someday." Anna giggled, rinsing her hands off in the tub and picking up the jug again. "Okay, close your eyes."

The Queen complied and sat still while her little sister rinsed the suds out of her hair, leaving her locks the beautiful platinum blonde they always had been. "You need a hair cut." Anna mumbled.

"I like it longer."

"And _where_ did these new piercings in your ears come from? You left with none and came back with two in each lobe!"

"It was my rebellious teenage phase I never got to experience." Elsa chuckled, remembering the kooky tribe they had rested with one night in Germania. "Remind me to tell you about that later."

"Damn right you'll spill the beans. Okay, I think I got it all." Anna set the pitcher down again and got up, averting her eyes as her sister wrung out her hair.

The Princess stood and gathered up the bathrobe, shaking it out and holding it open so the Queen could easily slip it on. Once she was decent, Anna fetched her a fluffy cotton towel and made her sit on the chair she had just vacated, letting the Queen quickly freeze and vanish the dirty bath water. The next few minutes were of her vigorously towel drying Elsa's hair and chattering away about how just last week Sven had somehow gotten into the vegetable pantry and eaten himself sick on carrots. When she felt satisfied with that task, she set about attacking the rats' nests in Elsa's hair with a mean looking comb and shared more silly stories about how Olaf found out what a corset was for, which _then_ launched her into a story about how he paraded around in one of Anna's for a good week. While she was braiding Elsa's hair into a thick loose braid, she asked her what she planned on doing for the rest of the day.

"I need to go see the people and let them know I'm okay. Then I'll come back after a few hours for lunch and then you can catch me up afterwards on what's been going on here."

"Sounds like a plan! Oh, you still have some makeup around your eyes."

"Oh… Thanks, I'll take care of it." Elsa smiled and stood up, her heavy braid resting on her left shoulder.

"You should keep it like that, makes you look sexy." Anna teased with a good-natured wink and fixed her sleeves.

Elsa arched an eyebrow and kept her sister's complement in mind as she made her way to the door on the adjacent wall that led to her chambers. "I'll see you at lunch, okay? And thank you, for this."

"No problem, I'm just glad I didn't walk in on anything worse, I mean, not that-uh. Yeah, I'll see you at lunch." Anna let out a groan at her chronic awkwardness and laughed, the sound contagious and soon Elsa was laughing herself.

"_Goodbye_, Anna." She called and closed the door to her chambers with a soft click.

Children squealed in laughter and held on tightly to the Queen's hands as she spun them slowly on a little two by two meter ice patch, their parents watching on the edges and the guards accompanying her not far behind them. Elsa had been giving turns to any that wanted one and now had the last three with her. She had donned a simple black and gold embroidered dress that had been new in her closet-she guessed Anna was the culprit. Elsa made a note to ask her when she got back to the Castle. On her head was a glittering ice replica of the crown she had foolishly tossed aside all those years ago. The Queen had made her rounds all across the markets to check on the shop owners, spoke with all of the farmers and shepherds that had approached her, and now was spending time with the townsfolk and their children. She had lost track of time, skating and snowball fighting with them. At one point she put on a spectacle with Olaf, giving him new appendages and extra headpieces that made him even goofier than before. That activity particularly delighted the smaller children. When the noon bell struck, Elsa led the children back to their parents.

"Okay guys, I have to go. Princess Anna will be impatient if I keep her from her lunch."

Choruses of _awwwesss_ and pleas to stay and have lunch with them instead rose up around her, warming her heart. She bent down and gave all three of them a hug at the same time, the feel of their little hands grasping at her waist doing something funny to her heart. She promised to visit them again soon and ushered them off to their parents, vanishing the thin sheet of ice on the ground before one of them slipped. Her guard of four shadowed her all the way back up the castle gates, the process slow going when people continued to greet her and welcome her home. She had never embraced any of the residents of Arendelle in the past, but the past few months had really opened her eyes to how lucky she really was to have them. Elsa had never hugged so many people and shook so many hands in one day. It made her feel rejuvenated, like the Ruler her Father and Mother had always wanted her to be.

She finally made it back to the Castle gates, only to hear angry yelling in the Courtyard. What she found inside did not surprise her. Crixus had somehow made his was back to her study and retrieved both of the ancient gladius swords. He still was covered in a layer of dirt and dried blood, his leather and iron armor reflecting dully in the sunlight. The Gaul was now in the center of the courtyard, backed up to one of the fountains with a sword in each hand. He had a hard time holding them, much less standing, still very weak from being frozen for nearly 1700 years. What worried her were some of the Castle guards who had _not_ known who he was, and they advanced upon him with weapons drawn. One of the older men who had first started as a guard when her father was ruling took two menacing steps forward and that was _it_ for Elsa.

"_STOP!_"

Her voice boomed from her petite body and echoed around the stone Courtyard, quickly silencing the yells of Crixus and her men. She slowly approached in the stately posture she had mastered all those years ago, her presence exuding power and poise. The guards immediately backed away from the wild-eyed Gaul and turned their attention to their Queen.

"What is going on here?" She asked coolly, her voice the slow level of emotionless she often used in court.

"Your majesty, this man was roaming about inside the Castle!"

"I see. This man is our guest. I had not thought he would be up just yet and I was going to inform you all after the midday."

"Your… Majesty?"

Elsa ignored his raw disbelief and stepped past him, her eyes on the struggling man next to the fountain. She could see he was scared, but ready to fight.

"_Crixus. I apologize for my men. They did not know you were my guest."_

"_Guest? Is that what I am?"_ He spat, his shaggy bangs back in his eyes.

"_Yes. What did you think you were?"_ She asked, curiosity beginning seeping into her voice but her expression remained neutral.

"_Am I not a slave to you?"_ He asked bitterly, drawing the Queen up short in her approach.

"_No. Crixus. You are free here._" She answered immediately, interlocking her hands in front of her in a gesture that reminded the Gaul of the ladies of the Roman Court.

"_Who are you really?"_ He hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes narrowed warily. "_This morning you were every bit the soldier but now? WHO ARE YOU?!"_

"_I am Queen Elsa, of Arendelle. I kept the truth from you because I did not wish for you to feel any obligation towards me._"

"_Jupiter's cock. That's a lie._"

Elsa didn't blanch at the curse, letting it roll off her back like water but her eyes flashed dangerously. "_I know that you are unsettled but believe me when I tell you that I truly want nothing from you."_

On the other side of the yard, Elsa spotted Anna and Kristoff emerging from the Castle, confusion and anxiety clear on their faces. She raised a hand to them in a placating gesture when they made the step to approach, but drew up short. Crixus caught her action and twisted his head to the new arrivals.

"_And who are they?"_

"_My little sister, Anna. And her husband, Kristoff."_ She supplied, approaching the Gaul again when he began to lower his arms.

"_I don't… I can't…" _He stuttered, turning his face back to her, finally resting his swords. Elsa stopped a few feet away, just inside the reach of his blade. Crixus immediately realized that this stoic woman didn't fear him, and knew that there was something else she was hiding. Something that made her feel that brave to approach an armed stranger, despite the circumstances.

"_I can't trust you."_

Elsa nodded and sighed, conceding. "_Nor I you, but here we are."_

Crixus let a bark of sharp humorless laughter burst from his chest. "_Then why wake me up? Why not just leave me to rot in my grave?"_

"_That… is not something that I can easily explain to you. Not here."_

"_Oh I see, so I'm your new little play thing?"_ He scoffed, an ugly sneer twisting his chapped lips. "_Just another cock to satisfy your lust for human flesh? All of you politicians are the same."_

Suddenly, the temperature _dropped_ and Crixus physically shivered. The Queen was livid, straining to school her expression into detachment. He flinched away when an icy blast hit him out of nowhere and he gaped when her eyes flashed with rage and started to glow an eerie blue-white. When she next spoke her voice was dangerously low and dripping with venom.

"_You would do well to bite your tongue, sir."_ She took a half step forward and frosted ice crackled out from beneath her black high heeled boot, splintering out across the cobblestone. _"If I wanted a man I could have him but I do not. Whether you wanted to be revived or not, here you are. It would be wise for you to refuse my aid because I AM certain that others will want to lock you away in a madhouse if not KILL you. All I want is to take care of this Kingdom. I have no solid explanation for why I chose to take you with me other than my powers pulled me to you."_

"_Witch…"_ He whispered weakly, falling back onto the fountain and then to sit down hard on the ground with his swords clanging noisily.

"_I have been called that, but it is not who I am."_ Elsa paced forward and stood directly over him, peering down her straight nose through smoky makeup. _"I have no desire to harm you, Crixus. But speaking that way to me again may wear on my patience. Once you are well, you are free to leave if you wish."_ She eyed him over, _"And do clean yourself up, you must feel uncomfortable."_

With that final quip, the icy temperature vanished and the Queen stalked away, speaking to her guards in her strange tongue. Crixus was truly afraid of a woman for the first time in his long twenty-eight years of life.

"Remind me to never get on your bad side." Anna told Elsa around a mouthful of apple.

The Queen rolled her eyes at her sister and took a sip from her red wine. She hadn't planned on drinking this early in the day but the Gaul had really struck a nerve within her. She had finally made herself eat something, forcing it down into the burning anger in her belly. The wine helped as well as the breeze, Anna had suggested they take their lunch out onto the terrace that faced the grandiose snowcapped mountains. They had already been out there for nearly an hour and Elsa was dreading going back to work, having grown to accustomed to not being able to rule Arendelle. The Princess had eased her into it though, explaining what had gone on in her absence and what the afternoon schedule would be like. Thankfully it was a light one, Anna even suggesting to cancel the remaining appointments when she heard the townsfolk celebrating all across Arendelle. Elsa had _almost_ said yes, but she ruefully turned the chance down.

"No, but seriously there are some new pastries in the kitchen that need to be liberated." Anna wiggled her eyebrows.

"We might have to go on a rescue mission later then." Elsa grinned and popped a little piece of cheese into her mouth.

"Hey… What did he say to you, anyways? That made you so mad?"

"You really don't want to know." Elsa muttered, slouching back in her seat and crossing her right leg over her left.

"That bad, huh?"

"He was pretty rude. And that's an understatement."

The gossiping sisters were interrupted by a throat clearing in the doorway to the terrace, they both looked up to see Crixus. Elsa arched an eyebrow and Anna's eyes very nearly popped out of her head. He had finally washed up but hadn't stopped there. The long matted locks that had been an unruly mop on his head were shorn away, cropped close around the sides and back of his head but a little longer on the top. He was also clean-shaven; his chiseled jaw smooth and defined. He shifted uncomfortably and tugged at the long emerald embroidered drape he had wrapped around himself, one he had apparently torn down in his new chambers. The fabric was stretched tight across his massive shoulders and was in a baggy loop about his trim waist, his leather and iron codpiece snug around his hips. The balteas glittered at his left hip and clinked quietly against each other. The Gaul had also strapped his lone shoulder guard back on, the iron and deep red leather gleaming after it had been brushed clean by the blacksmith out by the stables. His powerful thighs were bare and his newly cleaned boots and grieves anchored him to the marble floor. Crixus had forgone his wrist guard and gauntlet for comfort, he would not need them here. In his massive hands were the two gladius swords, wrapped in their makeshift scabbards that Aster had constructed for her.

"_Queen Elsa."_ He rasped; his eyes glued to his white knuckles.

The Queen remained lounged in her wicker chair, swirling the half empty cup of wine and briefly debating if she wanted to down it in one go. She easily ignored how handsome he looked, one of the _many_ useful skills she had picked up from ruling. After a long moment of letting him stand there awkwardly with her sister gaping at him, she set her cup down.

"_Approach, Crixus_."

The Gaul strode forward and halted a few feet away from his temple. Elsa could see that he was still very tired and she could also tell that he hated himself for what he was about to say. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth together tightly and mechanically lowered himself to a knee. He inhaled deeply through his nose, eyes glued to the ground and brow furrowed in self-disgust.

"_My swords are yours._" He ground out, thrusting his swords up to her, fingers as bands of iron around his brittle weapons.

Elsa studied the kneeling man for just a moment before her eyes were drawn to the nasty old brand of a 'B' on the inside of his right forearm. The Queen made a mental note to ask about it at a more appropriate time.

"_Why? You owe me nothing._"

"_But I owe you everything. Even though I wish I didn't. I am not a coward to give up so easily on this chance at life._" He reasoned, peering up at the aloof Queen with dark eyes.

Elsa studied him, weighing her options. She could feel Anna's eyes burning into the side of her head and the appealing comfort that another guard in the castle would be present swayed her. The Queen sighed and picked her cup back up.

"_I have no place to go, I am truly alone here."_ He begged, his face twisting with grief.

"_Very well. If this will put your mind at ease, there is a place for you."_

"_Name it."_ He rasped, relief thick in his desperate request.

"_Your first task is to become well. I won't have you stumbling all over the place."_ She quipped and an odd look of surprise and respect flickered across the man's tanned face. "_While you are healing, go talk to the blacksmith. Your swords, while powerful, are now old and brittle. I do not wish for you to break them."_ The Gaul quickly looked down to the swords in his huge hands, and loosened his grip on them.

"_Secondly, after I see that you are healthy and armed, I would have you placed as one of my personal guard. I warn you, should you disobey me I will not be forgiving. I've had many attempts on my life and I am in need of more skilled protectors._"

Crixus immediately bowed his head in thanks and heaved himself to his feet and turned to go. He had only made it a few steps when the Queen called him back.

"_Crixus._"

He turned and caught a red apple in his hand. He looked at it stupidly for a second before realizing the Queen had lobbed it to him.

"_Go to the kitchens and eat your fill. Then rest._"

The man took that as his dismissal and clapped his fist holding the apple to his chest in a salute that brought memories of the _Ludus_ rushing back. The memories were easy to push away and he bit into the sweet flesh of the fruit as he turned away and left his new master.

"Well." Anna gaped after him. "I'm going to say this again, _that_ is a man."

"Hush." Elsa chastised gently before finishing off her wine and rising to her feet.

"What did he want?"

"He… I have a new guard now." She answered and picked up an apple for herself.

"_Really?_" She gaped and vaulted out of her seat after her sister.

"Really. And-wait, weren't you taught Latin as well?"

"Yeah but… I kinda skipped those lessons… Languages aren't really my _thing_." She explained sheepishly.

"Uh huh… Well, you might want to start again, I don't know how easily he'll be able learn another language but at least I _know_ that _you_ are capable." Elsa teased and rolled her eyes at her sister's dramatic groan.

"Do I _haaave_ to?"

"Do you want to know what he's saying?" Elsa asked in exasperation.

"_Augh._ Fine, fine…" Anna gave up and bumped her sister's shoulder with her own.

"But _please_ at least admit that he isn't half bad to look at."

"Anna, you are _married_."

"_Why_ does everyone keep _saying that?!_"


	4. Chapter 4

**The back story behind this particular harebrained journey I'm about to share with you all hinged on one little note I jotted down on a project sketch.**

'**(Crixus is found by Elsa, barely hanging on. She saves him and he becomes her Champion.)'**

"_**Quid"**_** is 'what' in Latin. Or so google translate tells me. And **_**bunad**_** is traditional Norwegian wear if you didn't know. That was hard to describe because there are SO many different variations depending on which part of Norway you are from…**

**And to my special Guest that has been reviewing all my stories, I hope you enjoy this chapter you beautiful person! I'm VERY excited about this chapter. I even wrote a song for it. :D**

Sinking Ships and Sabotage

_The sun hung in the very center of the sky, a sinister swirling sphere of blood red and black. The soggy sand underneath Crixus's feet churned as he scrambled away from the pale giant called Theokoles. Spartacus lay behind the Shadow of Death with his head cleaved from his shoulders. Yet his head called out to him in agony, shouting to him in cries of another tongue he did not understand. Dread seized the Gaul's heart in his chest and he threw his body to the side, gaining a mouthful of gelatinous silt. He rolled to his feet but his legs drug like leaden stone. Behind Theokoles a glimpse of blue and white standing over the fallen Spartacus caught his foggy eyes and Crixus strained to see._

_It was the Queen. Pristine and clean upon the vile sand in a flowing silk gown. She peered at him through hooded eyes, icy blue chips glinting hollowly in the crimson sunlight. A disappointed sigh escaped her lips and Crixus felt shame. He was failing. Again. He looked up and the blade of the laughing Theokoles whistled towards his face-_

* * *

Crixus lurched to his feet and stumbled around the simply furnished bedchamber, bellowing out in a raging fear that gripped his senses. When he realized where he was, that he was safe, the Gaul fell to his knees gasping for breath. Sweat dripped from the tip of his nose onto his heaving bare chest, black eyes staring blankly at the vaulted ceiling. Dull pain throbbed through his side still and he pressed his palm firmly to the ugly scar on his stomach. Every night for the past fortnight he had been in this unfamiliar bed had brought him nightmares of his past that he could not escape. And _why_ had he felt such shame in his dream? He had only just begun shadowing the Queen for a few days and only felt loyalty because it guaranteed a meal and a place to sleep. He barely even knew the woman and yet the feeling of strange disappointment weighed down his already floundering heart. But the dreams where he stood as frozen stone, the terrors of a slain Spartacus and a screaming Naevia….

_Naevia._

Crixus missed her terribly. So much so that he felt his heart had quit beating within his breast. The woman had been his _heart_, and she had been ripped from him a second time. But this time it was permanent. The first week and a half had been spent in solitude and mourning locked away in his sleeping chambers. He had found a simple black linen tunic in the pile of clothing that had been given to him and wore it day and night. Crixus had also taken to the jug to dull the pain and cope with the vast emptiness in his chest. But on the twelfth day of his mourning, the Queen herself brought him the wine and two mugs. He did not bother to hide the evidence of his tears nor the state of destruction he had left the furniture in. She had silently entered the room, poured a mug for both of them, and sat quietly by his side on the only intact chair. When he had asked her why she was there, Elsa rested a gentle hand on his slumped shoulder and told him that her sister and brother in law had done the same for her and that he should know he wasn't completely alone. The statement had given Crixus comfort. But before he could ask about her circumstances, the Queen had risen and left the room. It had only raised more questions in his mind but instilled the resolve to leave his grief-laden prison the very next day and learn how to continue living. It was nearly impossible. When the Snow Queen had realized how lost he was that first day, she had immediately canceled all her appointments and took the entire day to answer any of his questions. She had been patient with him, and it made his new life a little bit easier. It would still take time to adjust. A long time.

Frustrated with his state of exhaustion and confused thoughts, Crixus heaved himself to his feet and wrapped a simple cloth about his waste. It would do him no good to remain in this confining room. That was another concept he was having difficulty grasping-the freedom to do what he pleased. He was still bound to this Queen, but she did not keep him locked up like he thought she would. When he had brought this concern to her, she had simply answered that this was now his home until he decided otherwise before rushing off to do whatever she did. Crixus splashed cool water on his face and exited the room silently, his bare feet padding softly on the richly patterned carpet. Yet another sleepless night was upon him.

* * *

Two terror-stricken screams ripped the Queen of Arendelle from her deep sleep, panic coursing through her veins like wildfire. Elsa stumbled from her bed and tore from her chambers, hair and nightgown flying wildly behind her. She almost bowled over a sleepy yet just as startled Kristoff whose brown eyes were wide in alarm while he pulled on a shirt. Frost blossomed out from every step she took, her bare feet thundering down the dimly lit hall. The initial screams had come from the main ballroom and now Elsa could hear Crixus bellowing in an ancient Gaulish tongue. She could hear Kristoff and Anna sprinting after her but she did not slow. Something was wrong-or so she thought. With the last corner rounded, the Queen blew the tall oak doors open with an icy blast to reveal the conflict within.

"_SAAAAAVEEE MEEEEEEE!"_

A frantic Olaf scrambled away from a roaring Crixus who was wielding a broken chair, his little flurry cloud trailing behind him pathetically and showering the slick floor with sleet. The near naked Gaul bellowed again and Elsa realized that he must have finally stumbled upon the living snowman. The Queen groaned in total exasperation and let her head fall into her hands as Kristoff and Anna nearly ran into the back of her. They gaped at the sight before them, relieved that it was only the Gaul and poor Olaf. But Anna started forward in a protective charge when she realized that the man was attacking the man oh snow, only to be held back by her husband.

"Crixus…" Elsa called, finally stepping into the room.

At the sound of her voice the former Gladiator skid to a halt in his tracks with his bare chest heaving and his dark eyes wide. _"There is a demon in this ludus!"_ He shouted, brandishing his broken chair at the quickly retreating snowman.

"_No, no that's not a demon."_ She answered him tiredly, pushing her wild blonde hair from her face. Olaf ran and hid behind the skirt of her cotton nightgown, the poor little guy shivering from fright.

"_But it SPEAKS! A man of snow!"_ He advanced a few steps, the dim light catching the planes of his chest.

Olaf squealed and ran further away back behind a startled Anna as Crixus continued his menacing approach. Elsa quickly stepped forward and halted the Gaul in his tracks with a hand placed firmly on the center of his chest. The man drew up short and stared at her cool hand against him in surprise. The Queen suppressed the urge to draw her hand back from his burning skin but feared that the Gaul would try to attack Olaf again.

"_The man of snow is one of my creations. His name is Olaf and you will not harm him."_

"_What?"_

"_He means you no harm, so please refrain from smashing him to pieces."_

Crixus at last met her gaze and swallowed hard, finally dropping the broken chair to the ground with a loud clatter just as Gerda, the matron servant, and two of her castle maids bustled into the ballroom from the opposite door. He paid them no attention and raised his huge burly arm to point menacingly at the cowering snowman with a snarl.

"_Keep that fucking thing away from me and I'll try my best not to part head from shoulders."_

"_You won't have any luck with that, he can live even if split."_ The Queen told him, withdrawing her hand and crossing her arms across her chest. _"He will come with me and I shall speak to him. For now, please return to your quarters and try to get some sleep."_

Elsa sighed tiredly and turned on her heel. As she walked past a confused Kristoff and Anna the Queen reached out and took Olaf by his twiggy little hand. He grasped her fingers gratefully and checked behind him one last time to see if the Gaul was following.

"Thanks Elsa, I thought he was gonna make me into a slush ball…"

"Not on my watch, Olaf. Now come on, I need to get back to bed.

* * *

Elsa massaged her temples in frustration, it was only mid morning and yet she was already buried elbow-deep in trade agreements. It also didn't help that her hair was pulled back in a severe plait that her mother used to wear hers in. Or that she had been woken in the dead of night to deal with a frightened Gaul and Snowman. And unfortunately… There was only so much her advisor could do and _currently_ he was away tending to matters in the Markets. A soft knock on the office door broke her from her thoughts. Anna slipped into the room without waiting for Elsa to grant entry and quickly shut the door behind her. The Queen frowned again at the papers fanned out on the large desk and sat back into her chair as her sister took a seat across from her.

"You look like you could use some help." She asked, and Elsa couldn't help the smile of gratitude that quirked her mouth up at the corners.

"I _could_ use some guidance. I'm still trying to grasp why we didn't make last month's quota for grain export…"

"Here, let me see." Anna hopped up and walked around the desk to look over Elsa's shoulder. She peered at the numerals for a moment and hummed in the back of her throat.

"Well… There shouldn't be any discrepancies, is there a page missing?"

Elsa frowned and started flipping through the sheaves of parchment just as the door to her study burst open, revealing a stricken Aster out of breath. The sudden intrusion startled the two sisters and the Queen knocked a stack of signed and sealed documents onto the floor.

"_Damn it Aster!_ What is it?!" She fussed and glared at the huffing man.

"Your Majesty! The ships! The ships in the Fjord are sinking!"

An icy chill swept through the room as Queen Elsa immediately leapt from her chair and stormed out of the study with Aster and Anna in her wake. Frost crackled out from beneath her feet as she broke into a run, easily leaving her sister and head of guard behind her to slip on the ice. Her eyes blazed blue-white and her face was set into a stony expression. The Snow Queen swept out of the castled and into the misty courtyard where the weak sunlight filtered down through the gray overcast sky. The men and women milling about their tasks had to dive out of the icy whirlwind that cut the cool spring air before Queen Elsa. The guards at the gate luckily had enough time to open the heavy oak and iron doors before their storming monarch and the two that followed her. Crixus emerged from the stables with Kristoff just as Elsa disappeared through the gates. The mountain man sprinted effortlessly across the now frozen cobblestones to his clumsy wife with Crixus on his heels.

"Anna! What the _hell_ is going on?!"

"Someone is sinking the ships in the Fjord!" She gasped and clung tightly to Kristoff's shoulders to keep her balance. Crixus was confused, but he could tell something wasn't right. He had to go after the Queen, the sudden surge of fledgling loyalty dwarfing the realization that this would be his first time to leave the Castle.

"_Quid?_"

"Aaahhh um, _oh just come on_, the both of you!" She exclaimed hurriedly and climbed on the horse that Aster had taken the quick moment to retrieve.

The head of the guard leapt on after her and dug his heels into the beast's flanks, sending steed careening forward as if it had been fired from a canon. Kristoff stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly, causing Crixus to just barely flinch at the offending sound. Sven galloped out of the stables sans-harness and slid to a halt between the two men. The mountain man vaulted up and extended his left arm to the Gaul who immediately took it. The way the Queen had been running like a woman possessed made the adrenaline start to flow through his veins. He had to see what was going on. The Gaul had only seen small demonstrations of her power; today's freezing of the ground being the largest yet. Crixus was skeptical of this animal called a reindeer and almost was thrown when the furry beast lurched forward with a cry from his master. They tore after the War Horse, skirting the patches of ice the Queen had left with every step. Crixus could see her just crossing the long southern bridge to the wharves-she was _fast_. But then he realized that she was using her ice to her advantage as a means of propulsion.

Townsfolk were rushing towards the docks and their cries of distress rose in a loud clamor. The four caught up to the sprinting Queen just as she skidded to a halt at the end of the furthest pier, snow and ice whirling tightly about her trim figure and whipping her pale hair from its plait. Before her, near fifty meters off shore the water bubbled and frothed at the damaged hulls of two fifty-meter long brigs and a 125-meter one-decked frigate. All three ships were of Arendelle's Naval Fleet. The sailors of the ships were leaping off into the fjord, unable to rescue their crafts. Crixus slid off Sven's rump and rounded the reindeer towards the Queen only to feel small hands catch his right elbow. He stopped and looked down to see Princess Anna staring at her sister, frightened yet shaking her head to him in warning. Crixus scowled as the crowd pressed in but his attention quickly focused back on his new master.

Elsa grabbed her navy skirts and pulled them up to her knees before driving her right foot down _hard_ onto the docks with a loud cry. A small shockwave blew out from the contact and ice exploded from underneath the sole of her high-heeled boot. Ugly frosted shards of ice as big as a horse crystallized in front of her and she whipped her hands about and made the motions of throwing forward, torpedoing the glaciers out and into the fjord. The Queen's movements were controlled and fluid and forceful, a powerful dance that made both fear and pride swell in Anna's chest. The ice landed with deep splashes and immediately burst into rapid growth, crawling out across the surface and snaring the floundering ships while skirting around the bobbing sailors. Once the ice had encased the ships and halted their sinking Elsa scooped her hands down and slowly back up as if lifting something heavy, her teeth bared and brow creased with the strain. The effort must have been great because Crixus could see the tendons and jugular standing out in her neck from where he stood. Columns of ice grew out into a cradle for each ship as the Queen lifted them up out of the Fjord and suspended them above the surface. Water gushed from huge mean gashes in the ship hulls, ropes and barrels and other flotsam spilling forth like innards. It was a terrifyingly impressive sight.

The whirlwind around the Queen slowly died down as she straightened up from her braced position, finally lowering her arms in front of her. Elsa gasped for breath, but her sudden sprint followed by an exertion of her powers made her appreciate the hard months of travel in a new light. Anger crashed hotly through her chest and she had to take a few calming breaths to keep from lashing out, her breathing only accompanied by the lapping water on the pier and the shouts of the men in the fjord. When she felt mostly under control the Queen turned on her heel and stalked over to the Dock Master at the front of the crowd that had gathered. Her hair was wild and eyes a blazing chilly flint. Many of the onlookers swore they could see the wrath bubbling just under her fair skin. The shoulders of her form fitting, high-collared, black long-sleeved tunic under the simply embroidered charcoal gray quilted bodice of her court-worthy _bunad_ were crusted with a fine dusting of sparking frost.

"_EXPLAIN_." The command was dangerously low in a raspy growl, her small fists clenching tightly at her sides still exuding nasty ice crystals.

"Y-yer Majesty! I were just tendin' to me books when the men started shoutin'. I ran outside and saw 'em sinkin', then sent a messenger boy right to yeh." He swallowed thickly when the petite five-and-a-half foot woman stared him down, pinning him under her icy gaze. "There weren't nobody here that weren't supposed to be!"

"Well _obviously_ there was. Find them." She snapped venomously just as Aster appeared at her side.

"Double the watch on the roads, have them look for any person that does not belong here. I want the culprit caught and brought to justice."

"My Queen." He bowed hastily and set about his task, ushering the townsfolk to go back to their business and ignoring the Dock Master who left quickly shaking in his boots. The people of Arendelle had briefly forgotten how truly frightening her powers could be.

Anna approached her seething sister cautiously, "Elsa?"

The Queen huffed a heavy breath out through her nose and forced herself to relax into a stiff posture that would make their old nanny proud. Her rumpled appearance paired with the barely concealed wildness in her steely eyes and rigid posture intimidated Anna. It reminded her of when she had first returned dressed in furs like a savage, and again from a few years prior.

"I haven't seen you do that… since…" She trailed off and cleared her throat nervously when Elsa's eyes grew flat and distant at her comment. "I'm sorry! I mean-is there anything I can do here? To help?"

"No, let's get you back to the Castle. It isn't safe here." She answered softly, beckoning Kristoff forward. "Both of you get back to the Castle, close the gates. No excuses. No detours."

"Yes, Elsa." Kristoff nodded solemnly and guided his wife away towards Sven where Crixus stood transfixed, his eyes still glued on the spectacle in the Fjord.

"_Crixus_." Elsa called, jolting the man from his stupor. He swallowed nervously and approached, clapping his right fist to his chest in quick salute.

"_Queen Elsa?"_

"_How soon until you are well?"_

"_I am well as we speak. I am eager for the Medicus to tell me I am ready to have sword in hand again."_

The Queen nodded once in approval and called one of the guards milling about to them. When he reached her she plucked his dagger from his belt and dismissed the bewildered man, handing the blade hilt first to the Gaul. Crixus immediately tucked the weapon into the belt of his subligar, hiding it underneath the loosely wrapped olive green linen cloth that he had draped around his shoulders.

"_It is no sword but it will do for now. I will arrange a time with the blacksmith for you later. Stay by my side and be my eyes where I cannot see. There is some one in my Kingdom who should not be here."_

"_Yes, Domina."_ He answered, falling back on a hard-broken habit. The Queen quirked an eyebrow at his choice of title and filed it away for another conversation. For now, there were more important matters to be attended to.

* * *

Elsa remained on the docks for hours until the sun began its decent. There were thirteen dead men and four boys laid out on the pier. A piece of weathered canvas taken from the Dock Master's stores covered each of the seventeen still bodies. They had been found in the cargo holds of the damaged ships either violently stabbed to death or drowned. The guards were just now letting the families come and claim their lost loved ones and Elsa gave her condolences to each and every person. The last family to come was one of the wharves, a burly man and a small woman trailed by three little girls and one boy. The Queen could feel tears of grief finally welling in her eyes when the rough and tumble man gently picked up the littlest child they had found as if he were made of the finest glass. The children were confused and were asking him why their brother was asleep. The mother turned to Elsa and embraced her without a thought to the difference in their social standing. The Queen felt Crixus move in closely at her back but she ignored him and hugged the woman tightly while struggling to suppress the shaking in her frame. When the woman finally let her go, Elsa took her hands and apologized profusely for not being fast enough to save their boy.

"My Queen, you still brought him back to us." Was her only response. The grieving mother squeezed Elsa's hands one more time and left, ushering her remaining family home.

The Queen turned her back and walked slowly to the end of the pier where the jagged semicircle of ice melted on the salt-water soaked boards. Elsa inhaled deeply through her nose and swallowed the burn of unwanted hot tears as she surveyed the damage for the umpteenth time. Dockworkers and sailors had rowed back out to the suspended ships, the huge lattice structures of ice cooling the already mild spring day. They had immediately started repairs to the hulls and the dull _thunk_ of mallets mingled with shouts from the men and the rasp of saws. She heard Crixus approach, the soft jangle of the _balteas_ on his hip, the plated _sabaton_ sewn into his boots, and heavy step the only clue he was there. The whole day he had stayed close to her side, staying just far enough away that Elsa still had her range of motion and where he could quickly get to her. The Gaul had ignored all of the odd looks that the townsfolk gave him and didn't speak to them either. He was not serving this Ice Queen to wag tongues with her citizens. Crixus was now sure that he could walk this pier in his sleep and never take a misstep off into the water. If that ever happened though, at least he could swim.

"_You care for these people."_ He stated softly.

Elsa sighed deeply and her shoulders drooped for just a split second before she turned to face him. _"They're mine. It is my obligation to take care of them, the compassion just comes easier to me now than it used to."_

"_But this… power that you hold."_ The Gaul ventured carefully, watching the Queen's eyes narrow in suspicion.

"_Yes?_"

"_Would it not be easier and of less effort to rule when wielding it?"_

"_The first time I lost control in front of strangers led to widespread panic as well as an attempt on both mine and my sister's life. The same man also attempted to usurp the throne."_ Elsa told him bluntly with a humorless smile. _"To rule by fear… Is not who I am. And someone I do not wish to ever be."_

"_A-apologies, I meant no disrespect."_ He stuttered, feeling just a little bit stupid as he averted his gaze to the boards of the pier.

"_I am not offended. You are in a strange time and a strange place, Crixus. The world has changed."_ She supplied gently, and took one last look at the ships. _"I think I've done all I can here for now, it is time we returned. I will deal further with this tomorrow when my mind is clear."_

"_Yes, Domina."_

"_Crixus, I am curious…"_ Elsa asked as they left the docks at a brisk pace side-by-side, weaving in and out of the workers. _"When you call me 'Domina' it seems like an old habit. Were you truly a gladiator of the Ancient Roman Empire?"_

"_A long time ago that was what I strove to be, when I had forgotten what freedom tasted like. To be the Champion of Capua and of the sands of the Arena. But treachery ran deep in the Ludus under the House of Batiatus and my path was changed. I still don't know if it was for the better."_

"_You miss it, being a gladiator?"_

"_Only parts of it, where all I had to worry about was how to beat the man in front of me into the sand. But the other requirements… I do not."_

"_Such as…?"_ The Queen pressed as they crossed the Southern bridge, the Castle looming just ahead. Crixus thought for a moment and stole a calculating glance at the Queen. She seemed to almost float along beside him; the air of superiority and elegance exuding effortlessly from her perfectly straight yet relaxed posture. He could tell it came to her naturally, that kind of grace was not learned. It clashed oddly with her rumpled look. After a few hours she had released her blonde hair down into an effortlessly styled heavy braid that made her look windswept. Looking at her now, he realized that she had a faint dusting of faint freckles on her cheekbones and across the bridge of her nose. It made her seem a bit younger than she really was, but she was a strikingly beautiful woman nonetheless. And through all of the day's ordeals she was not absent the crown of ice either. Crixus offhandedly wondered if it made her head cold before he was able to formulate his response.

"_There were other sports of a more intimate nature that were required of me. I… thank you that you have not asked those of me."_

"_Oh… Well… You have nothing to fear, I will never force you in… that way."_ Elsa answered carefully, the sick feeling of bile rising in her throat when she realized how truly used this man had been. Ancient Roman culture must have really sucked for the lower classes.

"_Much gratitude, my Queen."_

Elsa smiled weakly at him; the palpable relief that rolled off of him in waves was just as heart warming as it was depressing. The guards had just closed the gates behind them when her stomach rumbled, only then did she realize that she had skipped lunch. Which mean that Crixus hadn't eaten either and that wouldn't do for either of them. As they entered the castle, Elsa pulled aside one of the butlers.

"Has the evening meal been served?"

"No, your majesty. Princess Anna insisted on waiting for you. She is down in the kitchens, for what reason I don't know why." He trailed off with a sigh.

"Thank you."

The Queen bit back a smile, recalling how they would sneak down to the kitchens together when they were young and eat flakey apple pastries until they were sick. She gestured for Crixus to follow and couldn't hide the spring in her step once they were around the corner and descending the stone staircase to the kitchens and servants' quarters. Elsa hadn't been down there in years but she still remembered every nook and cranny. Jovial laughter and singing accompanied the bang of pots and pans at the end of the wide, low-ceilinged hall. Warm golden-red light and the wonderful smell of meats and pastries cooking wafted from the open door and their mouths watered.

The sight that greeted them was one that they both needed after the massive amount of grief they had dealt with at the docks the whole day. Anna was in the midst of the cooks that had been employed in the castle since before they were born, helping them prepare the meal and making sure Kristoff didn't burn the mutton. They were singing a dirty sailor's shanty that Anna and Elsa had learned long ago from the guards on the Wharves, much to their parent's chagrin. She and Anna would hum it now and then as an inside secret, since young Princesses and Queens weren't supposed to know such a song much less sing it. But there was Anna, belting out the loudest of them all and it only took Elsa into the second line of the first stanza to burst into the kitchens and join in with glee. The cooks laughed and cheered and sang with the sisters, poor Kristoff and Crixus left to watch in amused bewilderment.

"_Oh there was a lass! (A lass! A lass!)_

_She hung from the mast o're the sea! (Sea!)_

_And when the waves they splashed! (They Splashed!)_

_The lass was wet as could be!_

_Oh how she cried! (That lass! That Lass!)_

_For her dress be full of froth! (Froth!)_

_And how the sailors stared! (They stared!)_

_For through her dress they could see!"_

Anna dropped her pairing knife on the cutting board amidst a mound of vegetables and rounded the counter, scooping her older sister into her arms and spinning her around the floor in a wild stomping waltz the fisherman's wives favored. Their dresses whirled around their legs in frenzied flight in time with the song.

"_Oh so down she climbed! (That lass! That lass!)_

_Amidst the raging dogs! (Dogs!)_

_And though they wished her skin to touch! (Touch!)_

_The Captain had none o' that!_

_Oh that little lass! (That lass! That lass!)_

_Into the Captain's cabin she came! (Came!)_

_And complain not when he spread her legs! (Legs!)_

_He was the Captain, who could she blame?"_

Elsa and Anna collapsed into raucous laughter and gasped for breath in front of the hearth. The happy atmosphere was exactly what the Queen needed after a hard day as well as the full pint of ale one of the kitchen boys brought her. She thanked him and told him to also give the Gaul leaning in the doorway a pint. Elsa didn't often drink the hoppy beverage, it reminded her almost too much of their late father. She let Anna drag her back to the high counter island that was butted up against the range she had first been chopping at. There were seven wooden barstools all jumbled together right underneath the lip and the sisters shoved each other out of the way for the least rickety seats giggling the whole way. Kristoff immediately abandoned his task to a more competent cook and went to his vibrant wife. Elsa looked back at the doorway and noticed Crixus standing there awkwardly with his wooden stein, torn between staying and slipping away. The Queen pulled out the empty stool to her right and sent him an easy smile before turning back to listen to her babbling sister, leaving the option open to the foreign man.

A moment later she felt the heat of his body at her side then heard the wooden bar stool creak under his weight, making her grin into her ale. Elsa rested her elbows on the counter, a habit she had learned from Aster to better blend in with the men when she had been travelling, and held her stein out to Crixus. The Gaul looked at it for just a second before chuckling and knocking them together in a toast.

"_Today was a difficult day, Crixus. I pray we won't have another like it for a while."_

"_I'll drink to that."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Moving right along. Thank you to those who reviewed for your kind words! This chapter is more character building and an attempt at some humor. There should be some more action coming soon, if all goes according to plan.**

**Cheers!**

Building Bonds

The next day was upon them before they even knew it and Elsa desperately still wished she didn't have to get out of her comfortable bed. Her legs were a little sore but it was the good kind that felt absolutely _heavenly_ when you stretched. Now if only she didn't feel so drained. It wasn't that she had used her powers so extensively, no no. It was the political disaster that she was sure was going to crop up from yesterday's fiasco in the fjord. She was receiving the families this afternoon to tell them that she would personally be taking care of all their funeral expenses. Elsa was extremely frugal with her Kingdom's money but… these people had died in a tragic way that she was sure was a ploy to again her attention. To what end, she did not know. But it made her realize that there was someone from the Southern Isle still trying to get to her and that did _not_ make her happy. The little ivory faced clock on her beside table informed her that she could maybe rest just a bit longer, so the mighty ruler of Arendelle snuggled deeper into her bed sheets and soft downy pillows. The blonde had maybe dozed for a wonderful five minutes of bliss when Anna's soft tattoo echoed on her door.

"Elsa?" The door creaked open.

"Nnoooooooo…" The blonde moaned pitifully and rolled away from her sister and onto her stomach so she could jam her face further into her pillow.

Soft footsteps shuffled across her room and around to the side of the huge bed Elsa was sprawled across. She whined again when the mattress next to her hip dipped under the slight weight of her sister and tried her best to pretend she didn't have to get up. Anna began to softly scratch her back in looping circles like their mother used to do when they had a nightmare, and Elsa immediately began to feel a little bit better. The comforting gesture nearly put her back to sleep but Anna switched to the flat of her palm, rubbing firmly against the cotton nightgown to wake her back up. Elsa finally extracted her face from her pillow; aware that she had lines on her skin from the wrinkles of the cloth and her free flowing hair was an absolute mess. She sighed heavily and enjoyed the warmth of Anna's hand resting in between her shoulder blades.

"We have to talk to sad people today." The Queen mumbled with a frown, staring at the little clock that read half past six in the morning.

"I know." Anna answered her; the same weariness Elsa felt reflected in the tone of her voice. "Okay, come on. The faster you get up, the faster you'll get your nasty black coffee."

Elsa grumbled and pushed herself into semi upright position and let Anna help her up out of bed. Today was going to _suck_.

* * *

The morning had crawled by jam packed with meetings that concerned the future safety and prosperity of Arendelle and its guests. Throughout the ordeal the Queen was an emotionless and calm thinker, eerily like her deceased father but the spitting image of her mother. She was a good ruler, some even called her great. Elsa liked to think she was just doing the best that she could, quashing foreign schemes and executing the harder decisions to help their trade flourish. After a particularly hard choice Elsa would often find herself wondering what her father would have done. Such thoughts were always quickly pushed away, it wouldn't do to have others know that sometimes the Snow Queen was just as insecure as any other ruler. So between eight and nine in the morning she met with Aster and the other heads of security about measures that could be taken against another act of sabotage. From nine to eleven she met with the trade commerce advisors and continued their investigation on the missing grain and how well their next quota of raw textiles was progressing along. They also argued about keeping their trade agreement with the Southern Isle open and even broached the subject of England. From eleven to eleven twenty the Queen vanished into a side room rarely frequented and returned even graver than before. And then from eleven twenty to half past noon she buried herself in reading over asset requisition forms and newly gathered information on the surrounding kingdoms' political movements. Before her work had begun, Elsa had given Crixus permission to begin training again in the courtyard reserved for the royal guard. The Gaul had bowed eagerly and quickly strode away, energy thrumming through his massively solid frame.

A soft knock startled the Queen from her consuming task of reading through the fine print on yet _another_ stipulation Denmark had sent them and nearly knocked her ink well over. She glanced at the enormous grandfather clock across the room and realized the noon meal had already started.

"One moment!" She called, making one more notation on her scrap of parchment as she rose from her tall backed chair.

"Hey Elsa?" Kristoff stuff his head through the door curiously.

"Kristoff! I thought you were someone else. Just give me a second and we can go have lunch…" She trailed off and jotted down just a few more thoughts.

"C'mon sis, you need to come eat."

Elsa looked up at him and sighed knowing that, _yes,_ this could wait just an hour. Half an hour. "Alright."

The mountain man smiled broadly and waited for her by her now thrown open study door. Once they were walking towards the small dining room Kristoff slung his thick arm over her shoulders and pulled Elsa close. She smiled and wrapped the arm against him around his middle and knocked her head on his shoulder. His comfort was always welcome and the Queen cherished it. Her brother in law had been right there for her through thick and thin, working as a team with Anna through her hardest times. He was her second best friend behind her sister, even if he did stink a little bit.

"Hey, Elsa?" The man asked tentatively.

"Hey, Kristoff?" She teased back.

Kristoff snorted a short laugh but quickly cleared his throat. "I was wondering, since your Gladiator seems to be well again…"

"He's not _my_ Gladiator. He's-"

"I know, I know. But… He knows how to fight. Right? I mean, yeah. He can fight. Um."

Elsa had pulled from his side and stopped in the hall with her arms crossed over her chest and her hip cocked to the side in an attitude she rarely showed outside the courts. She let her brother flounder for just a few more moments with her sculpted eyebrow arching ever higher in amusement. When Kristoff realized he was babbling he frowned and copied her posture.

"What's bothering you?" She finally smirked.

"With what's happened recently, in the fjord and in Italy… I just… I fear for you and Anna's safety."

Elsa's expression softened and she straightened up from her relaxed posture. The Queen rested a hand lightly on Kristoff's creased elbow in comfort. "You don't need to worry about me, you only need to worry about Anna and yourself."

"But you're my family too! _AND_ my Queen! And employer…"

"Kristoff, we're perfectly safe here in the castle. The security is strong and it isn't something you need to readily worry about."

"_Rrraaargh!_ But I can't _help_ it! _I'm_ not _strong_ enough! What if somebody slips past the guards and it's only _me?_" He roared, throwing his hands up in frustration and gasping at his shaggy blonde hair.

Elsa drew upon her vast patience and clasped her hands together while she waited for the irate mountain man to stop pacing and fuming.

"Elsa." The fear in his voice was palpable. "Can your man Crixus teach me how to fight?"

"I… can only ask. But you should too, so he knows that you really mean it. I have a pretty strong feeling that he is used to extreme dedication."

Kristoff laughed weakly in relief and swept Elsa up into a quick hug. A _"Thank you."_ was whispered hoarsely in her ear before he set her back on her feet. The Queen reasoned that if letting her brother learn how to swing around a piece of pointy metal to feel better made him happy, then that made her happy too. A lighter mood descended upon them as they continued on down the hall towards the small patio just off the small dinning room where Anna had kept insisting they eat. She had told Elsa it was her new favorite spot since it had the best view of the mountains. Elsa would have preferred to sit in a closed room far away from _any_ view of the mountains. _But_ it made Anna happy so she didn't say anything; she just chose not to look at them. The blonde had to stifle making a face when she realized she put a lot of people's happiness before her own. It was easier said than done. Crixus's deep rasp and Anna's melodic soprano could be heard in faint conversation just around the corner, peaking the interest of the mountain man and the Queen.

"No, no, no. _Aa-puhl_. Apple."

"Ah-pel."

"Close enough… oh hey!" Anna noticed the two approaching and bounded towards them. "Crixus wants to learn!"

"Does he now?" Elsa asked, turning her curious gaze towards the Gaul.

"Yeah! Well I mean, I think he does. We were just kinda looking at the fruit on the table and he picked one up and said, uh… _pomum_?" She looked back at the slowly approaching Crixus.

The man grinned broadly and held up the red fruit in his large hand. "_Pomum!_ Ah-pel."

Suddenly, Elsa had an idea. She kept it to herself for the moment, choosing instead to guide her sister to the table set for three. She paused and frowned. Three. That wouldn't do at all. A quick swirling flick of her wrist materialized a fourth identical wicker chair and table setting made of ice. Elsa beckoned the Gaul to the seat directly to her right and settled herself in the mesh of ice links. The blatant surprise on his face was an indication to the Queen that he hadn't expected a seat at all. She arched an eyebrow and the flabbergasted man sat down heavily next to her.

"Anna, while you're still thinking about it, I believe I found away for you to brush up on your Latin."

"Awwww Elsa… I just wanna _eat_ right now." She whined, scooping a cold pasta dish and some cut fruit onto her china plate.

"Well you can eat, but listen. Okay?" She continued when Anna flapped a hand at her to continue, her mouth full of pasta. Elsa laced her fingers together and leaned her forearms lightly on the edge of the table.

"Instead of meeting with your tutor like I had originally planned, I want you to learn from Crixus."

Anna paused mid-chew and gawped at her sister. "Yoo gotta be shittin' me."

"Language!" Elsa chastised.

"No, I'm serious!"

"So am I! The fact that you just learned how to teach each other how to say '_apple'_ of all things makes my point for me."

Anna whined and pouted into her pasta salad, ignoring Kristoff who actually looked like he wanted to learn too. Elsa quirked an eyebrow at him and plucked a slice of the fruit of discussion from the platter as she turned her attention to the Gaul.

"_Crixus. Do you have any interest in learning my language?"_

"_If I am to be your guardian, it would be wisest."_

"_Good. I want you and my sister to teach each other. I can provide a tutor when assistance is needed."_

Crixus stared at the Queen, more than a little confused. _"But she is of royalty. Why would she learn from me?"_

"_Because learning by practical conversation is a better way to reinforce what is absorbed. Or so I've found to be true when learning another tongue."_

The man inclined his head in easy agreement and began to load his plate with meat and bread and cheese, swiping another red apple and depositing it next to the first one. He must have been hungry after starting his training again that morning and the Queen could tell he had recently bathed before seeking them out for lunch. Elsa smirked triumphantly and turned her head back to a moping Anna. When her little sister caught her expression she grumbled, knowing she couldn't get out of this one.

"Oh come on, at least it won't be ancient wrinkly Frederick this time."

"I swear that old coot had it out for me."

"Only because you glued him to the chair when you were twelve."

"He was asking for it!" Anna wagged her fork at an amused Elsa.

"You got an extra assignment because you neglected the first three!"

"It was only two, and-wait, how did you know that?"

Elsa laughed at the suspicious look her younger sister sported. "I told you, I always asked about you."

"That's sweet and all but now that I think about it you might actually be a little creepy. Queen Elsa, the ruler of snow and stalking-_Hey!_"

Kristoff roared with laughter when Elsa beaned her sister in the middle of her forehead with a cherry tomato. Crixus just sat there and ate his simple meal, watching from the sidelines since he could only infer from action and tone of voice that the Queen was teasing the Princess.

"I am _not_ creepy!"

"Psh, yes you are! '_Ooohhh look at me! I'm Elsa! I sneak around and spy on you while you sleep! I also like to freeze my sister's shoes to the floor when she's-' _Augh!" Anna was cut off when a huge mound of white powdery snow buried her in her seat. _That_ made Crixus choke on his water.

"Okay, you feisty-pants women, settle down." Kristoff chuckled, reaching across the small table to bang the Gaul on the back and sweep snow off of his disgruntled wife at the same time.

"Yeah, well, she started it." Anna complained and threw some of the snow across the table at her madly cackling sister-a laugh she didn't use often anymore and it made it difficult for the Princess to stay mad at her.

"I know she did, but she's the Queen and can get away with a lot more than you can." He consoled her while still trying to stifle a grin.

Anna pouted a little bit more while she got up and dumped the offending snow out of her seat before returning to her meal. The rest of the lunch was a little bit better for the sore Princess after she ate her fill and cracked a daringly stupid plan to get back at the Queen. It was fairly simple. The Queen didn't have to meet any more dignitaries today, save for the families around three, so she had changed into one of her more casual ice gowns and that made Anna's plan _so_ much easier. When Elsa was talking to Kristoff about some boring stable problem, the Princess scooped up a handful of slushy snow and hid it behind her hip. Her skirt kept her ammunition out of sight as she rose clumsily to her feet. Anna saw that Crixus had seen what she had done, but the man hid his smirk behind one of his huge hands. Realizing she now had a partner in crime, Anna decided that this would be a good time to turn the tables.

"You're right Elsa, it would be beneficial for Crixus and I to learn from each other."

"I-good! Uh, okay?" The Queen stuttered, a little confused at her sister's interruption.

Anna nodded solemnly and slowly strolled around the back of the chair Crixus was seated in. "Yes! I think we should go ahead and start now." She swaggered up to Elsa and propped herself up on the back of the ice chair.

"Wait, what?" Now she _knew_ something was up.

"Crixus," Anna looked at the Gaul's slowly reddening face with a smirk. She quickly held up her hand of dripping slush just as her sister's eyes went comically wide.

"Snow!"

Anna's hands blurred as she seized the low neckline of Elsa's dress and tugged it away from her body. The snow slapped loudly down against the Queen's pale chest and then again when the Princess smooshed the chilly slush-filled fabric back onto her skin. An _extremely_ un-lady like screech born more out of shock and surprise than the actual cold echoed around the small patio against Anna's maniacal laughter. Elsa sat rigidly in her seat, shoulders hunched and face frozen in scandalized distress as the fabric quickly darkened in the front of her gown. Her stunned expression quickly morphed into mild irritation before settling on a dangerously coy smile. The change only went noticed by the Gaul who quickly leaned down over the table, knocking his chin on the tabletop just in time for a massive blob of snow to pass over his head and knock over a sauntering Anna. Kristoff only roared harder with laughter and had to grab at the arms of his chair to keep himself from sliding out of it. The shocked Princess's head popped up out of the snow and gaped at her snickering sister. And then all decorum was lost.

Kai and Gerda frantically rushed out onto the patio after hearing the screams of the royals, perplexed when they passed by the guards still stationed at their posts. Couldn't they hear what was happening? All of their questions were answered when they stumbled out to where the two sisters were having lunch. They weren't being attacked at all. Well, they were, but by each other. Snow and ice was _everywhere_ and Elsa was sitting on Anna's stomach, scooping snow into the top of her unbuttoned blouse. Kristoff had obviously tried to help his wife because he was cocooned in a lumpy mass of snow and ice, the Queen's new personal guard was laughing and trying to chip the slick barrier away with a fork and table knife. It wasn't doing much damage. The scene was odd but a welcome sight even after the past fours years of obstacles.

"Your majesties!" Kai called, but they didn't hear him. Anna bucked her sister off and Kai had to hastily avert his eyes when the Princess's blouse hung open and the Queen's dress rode up.

"_YOUR! MAJESTIES!"_

All sounds of screeching laughter ground to an immediate halt when the rowdy group realized that they weren't alone anymore. Kai cleared his throat nervously as the sisters scrambled to their feet in breathless giggles, their faces flushed.

"Yes?" The Queen asked, trying to regain her composure.

"We heard screaming and thought you under attack."

"Nah, we're good here." Kristoff called. "Well, mostly."

"Very well."

And just like that, Kai and Gerda left. They were upset but had no right to scold Anna and Elsa anymore. They _were_ grown women after all. The silence on the patio lasted a whopping three seconds before snorts quickly turned into full-blown gales of laughter from the blonde and the red head. A lazy wave released the mountain man from his chilly cage and subsequently buried him under it. Anna bumped Elsa with her hip and scooped the offending slush out of her blouse.

"This isn't over, y'know."

"That's what _you_ think." The Queen teased.

"Yeah yeah yeah. Well now I need to go change for this afternoon."

"Oh. I had forgotten…"

"Me too. But it'll be okay. Somehow."

"I hope so." Elsa murmured, watching Crixus haul a shivering Kristoff to his feet.

* * *

Elsa sat in her throne, her shoulders drooped and her arms wrapped protectively around her middle. The last family had left just ten minutes before. She had also sent Anna away to go find her husband so she could have a few moments alone. Grief had saturated the throne room like rotten molasses, seeping into everything and leaving a gritty residue to every surface.

"Get it _together_." She hissed, angrily wiping her hot tears from her face with the back of her hand. She was thankful she had chosen to wear the black mourning gown, it didn't show the tear stains as easily.

The Queen took a couple deep breaths and achingly rose to her feet, her body exhausted from the emotional duress of holding back her powers while the families were present. She looked around the vast hall that was covered in grisly ice and frost and frowned. Elsa hadn't realized she had turned her throne room into a freezer. Hands reached out and pulled while ice blue eyes slipped closed in concentration. Ice crickled and crackled and crescendo'd in a tinkling cacophony as it broke away from the surfaces it was adhering to and disintegrated into the air. Within the span of thirty seconds the hall was once again restored to its pristine order. The Queen was finally done with public engagements for the day, so she decided maybe she could go have a cup of tea before the rest of the day's paper work was finished. Just as she stepped down from the last step of the dais, the side door creaked open and a tall thin man dressed in salty grays entered. He was a bland looking man, with a face that you could easily forget as soon as he had left the room.

"Your highness." He bowed respectfully but just barely tilting his thin face, refusing to meet her gaze. Elsa had always felt off-kilter around the man, his avoidance of eye contact and perpetually calm willowy voice were unnerving.

"Mr Rotte, we have already met today." The royal drew up short and brought herself to her full height, the very definition of Snow Queen snapped brusquely into place. Any surprise visit by her Head of Intelligence was _always_ very good or very bad. Usually, very bad.

"Forgive me, your highness. But I have some information you may find useful." He inclined his head again, refusing to take his muddy brown eyes off of her hands.

"Very well. What is it?" Icy impatience colored her stained neutral voice.

"My little mice have been scrounging around in the Southern Isle. While we had already confirmed your attackers in Italy were from this land, we were able to discern that they had, _in fact_… unfortunately been employed by a certain noble by the name of Sonderson Craffus."

"What do you know about this man?"

"So far? Only that he a low ranking man in the courts, a vulgar man who used to be a merchant. His profits made from swine, cattle, and less appealing tastes. Soon we will know more."

"Get me as much information as you can. I would like to know exactly what I am dealing with." Her blue eyes blazed with cold fury and a shred of satisfaction that they _finally_ had lead.

"As you wish."

The man bowed once more and strode from the throne room, his feet not making a single sound against the marble. Elsa watched him go, not moving until he slipped back out the door he came. But the door didn't close all the way, instead an on-edge Crixus pushed inside and clomped over to her. His steel-toed leather boots clanked with each heavy step and he had forgone his fashioned cloak of green, donning one of crimson one today. Elsa didn't know how she ignored the state of his dress; if it had been any other man she probably would have felt scandalized. But they were in an odd situation, and she was sure that he probably held the same sentiments about their clothing. She briefly remembered him complaining about how pants were too binding and troublesome to wear. The Queen noticed his right hand was clenched, palming the borrowed dagger. The Gaul had the blade pressed tightly into the inside of his forearm to minimize the attention drawn to it. He clapped the same hand to his chest in quick salute when he finally reached her. Crixus registered her reddened eyes but quickly deduced that it was because of the long and trying afternoon, so he said nothing.

"_My Queen."_

"_Yes?"_

"_That man. Who was he?"_

"_One of my advisors."_

The Gaul scowled and glanced behind him. "_He knew my language."_

"_Latin is not an uncommon tongue for many to be schooled in."_

"_No. It was not the Roman tongue. It was the one I first knew as a boy."_

Elsa gaped in confusion for just a moment. If 'Mr. Rotte' knew Gaulish, then she had seriously underestimated him. The revelation humbled her and gave her pause to maybe consider being a bit warmer to him in the future. Despite how slimy he made her feel whenever she was in his company.

"_He is a very intelligent man. One that you would do well to avoid offending."_

Crixus scowled again and said nothing else in his own form of an agreement. The Queen nodded to herself, glad that he had at least agreed to behave for now. She was still getting to know the Gaul; he was an enigma in a sense.

"_Good. Now let's go to the blacksmith's while there is still light. I wish to see you fully equipped as soon as possible."_

Crixus's bare chest swelled with self-importance as he followed his _Domina_ from the throne room. Finally, he would soon feel whole again with a sword in his hand. The day had been a good one for him so far, his training starting once more with vigor. The Gaul could already tell that he would be sore on the morrow, but the feeling of being able to strike a target dummy with a practice sword more than made up for it. It almost reminded him of his days in the _Ludus_, but this place was far better. He had the training facilities and regimen of his days as a Gladiator, yet the freedom of the rebel army. The only things yet missing and would forever remain so, were his friends and his heart. It was a sobering thought that still plagued him at night, but Crixus knew that if he were to heal and continue on, then he needed to honor their memory by doing his best to serve and protect Queen Elsa and her sister.

The pair had just passed the stables when Kristoff stumbled after them, hastily throwing his pitchfork into a corner.

"_Wait!_ Wait!" He galloped over and clumsily bowed, remembering he was in front of less privileged members of the Keep's employees. "E-Queen Elsa. I would like to ask Crixus something. Could you translate for me? Please?"

Elsa just smiled and shifted so she could easily see both of the men. When Kristoff finally began to speak, she quietly orated what he was saying into Latin for the Gaul.

"Crixus. I know this is an odd request… And you've probably had it before." The mountain man paused and rubbed his hand through his shaggy blonde hair. Asking for help wasn't always easy for him, especially from a stranger.

"I want to learn how to fight. I need to be able to protect Anna if the guards aren't there. I mean, I _can_ already, but I need to be better. I need to be stronger."

Crixus listened to Elsa's soft lilting voice, his head tilted towards her but his dark eyes fixed on the tall man before him. His face was set in a grim expression and he sighed heavily through his nose. This time, Elsa spoke for the Gaul.

"_What you ask of me will not be easy. I will not fucking coddle you like a boy. If you are to learn to protect your woman, you must learn that you may need to one day take another man's life. I will not have my skills wasted on a man who can't take hold of his own cock."_

Kristoff stared wide-eyed for a moment at the Gaul, muttering to the amused Queen. "He's got some language, doesn't he? Thanks for not pulling the punches… Ouch."

"_What did he say?"_

"_He appreciates your bluntness."_

Crixus roared with laughter and extended his right arm to the dumfounded man, roughly clasping the taller man's forearm in acceptance.

"_Tell him that I will train him. And that he better impress me."_ The Gaul laughed again and released Kristoff's arm, clapping him on the shoulder.

"What just happened?"

"Crixus has decided to take you under his wing. I _strongly_ suggest you do your best and try not to disappoint him. Come on. Since you're in on this now, you're going to need a weapon as well."

Kristoff stood there dumbly for a moment while the chuckling former Gladiator and serene Snow Queen continued on towards the blacksmith behind the Stables.

"Wait, what?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Apparently my PWP's sell a lot hotter than my actually stories, who'dve thunk it? You horn dogs. I love you all so much. Be on the look out for an update to INK then, since I seem to have made quite a few of you run for a cold shower…**

**Anyways! Some bonding between our favorite Gaul and Queen in this chapter. A bit short, I'm afraid. I'm getting sick for the first time in nearly two years and it's really draining my batteries.**

Brothers and Sisters

Crixus jolted awake again, a cold sweat soaking the twisted bed sheets. He groaned in frustration and rested a forearm across his eyes. This inability to sleep through the night was a new and extremely obnoxious habit. The Gaul tried his best to fall back asleep, but the twistedly garish visions of a murdered Naevia flickered cruelly behind his eyelids. So he heaved himself to his feet since there was obviously no point in trying to rest at this point. It had become a nightly ritual for Crixus to wander the silent halls of the keep, coping with his loss and learning to assimilate into this new foreign culture. It would have been much more difficult had he not be ripped from his home once before. The Queen had actually noticed and when he told her, to his surprise there was cold anger in her eyes instead of pity. Anger that he had been denied a peaceful existence, that he had know so much loss. It was a better balm than any he had ever gotten.

It was a little chilly in the hallways and Crixus was glad that he had decided to throw on his subligar. But as he turned his path toward the great halls he noticed the barest hint of frost dusting the edges of the thick carpet. The Queen was either awake or having a very bad dream, something he had witnessed a week prior. The palace had woken to subzero temperatures and he had helped the big mountain man break down the iced shut door to the Queen's sleeping chambers. That had been his first glance at the sad woman behind the crown. Her sister had stayed with her for the rest of the night and the men stayed up in the kitchens by the fire, even after every trace of frost had been wiped away. The vision of the limp young woman sobbing into her sister's neck had disturbed the Gaul.

When Crixus paused in the open doorway of the portrait gallery, he understood. At the far end of the chamber, the Queen sat alone in front of an oil painting of a solitary man. She looked so small in her elegant gown of ice, her arms wrapped tightly about her ribs as if she was trying to hold herself together. The Gaul felt guilty with his intrusion and had taken a single step back when the Snow Queen turned her face to him. He felt his heart ache for her when he noticed her dull eyes, flat and void of emotion. Half-dried tear tracks glistened on her cheeks as her body shifted to sit ramrod straight and fold her hands in her lap.

"_Apologies. I'll take my leave."_ He called quietly and turned to go.

"_Wait."_

The single word was almost a whisper, but it tolled clear as a bell in the quiet hall, bouncing off the tall ceiling and reaching Crixus. The man turned his head and looked back at the solemn Queen who had returned her gaze to the oil painting. The Gaul swallowed nervously and padded over to the bench and gingerly took a seat on the edge of the cushion, a respectful distance away from the monarch. He looked at her stony face for a moment before turning his gaze to the painting on the wall. It was of a strong and solid handsome man, long flowing auburn hair restrained in a long tail down his back. Deep-set blue eyes peered out flatly from underneath a heavy brow and were accented by a straight roman nose. The chiseled jaw paired well with his angular cheekbones and square chin. The man in the painting was wearing the Royal colors of another kingdom but the crest of Arendelle was pinned to his chest in a glittering silver and ice brooch.

"_His name was Adam, my husband."_

Crixus almost didn't catch what the Queen said; she had uttered it so quietly. Suddenly, the Gaul understood so much more about the young woman and why she was so completely focused on her rule and the bond with her sister and brother in law. Queen Elsa didn't have anyone else; she was alone and just as heartbroken as he was.

_"My apologies, Domina, for the loss of your husband."_

_"Thank you, Crixus. I'm sorry you had to see me like this."_ Her voice cracked and she cleared it softly. _"Now you know why I was so understanding of your situation."_

_"And you have my gratitude for your patience."_

The two sat in a heavy silence, staring at the picture. Crixus open and shut his mouth a few times, his indecision catching the monarch's attention. She raised a worn man's handkerchief to her face and wiped the evidence of her tears away.

_"Speak your mind, Crixus. I may be your Domina, but you are not a slave."_ The man shifted uncomfortably on his perch and carefully chose his words, planting his huge hands on his bent knees and hunching his shoulders.

_"How did you lose him?"_

The Queen inhaled deeply through her nose and sighed, sinking back down into a slouch and twisted the handkerchief in her hands. Her jaw clenched for a moment and frost curled onto the velvet seat as an old poisonous anger seeped into her flat eyes.

_"He was murdered. Taken from me by a madman from his own country."_

_"Jupiter's cock... The world is full of selfish bastards who only live to harm others. My sincere condolences for you loss, Domina."_

_"Thank you. It was a long time ago, but... He was not the first person I have lost."_

_"I see that lives are still just as fragile as they were in... My time."_

_"Life will always be fragile, Crixus. That is why we must protect what is most important to us."_

_"You speak with wisdom beyond your years."_

_"You have to grow up quickly when you are a risk to everyone around you."_

_"Apologies, but I do not understand."_

The Queen huffed a hollow laugh and dropped her gaze to her twisting fingers in her lap. _"My powers, Crixus. I was born with them, and as I got older they grew with me. One night, when I was eight and Anna was just five... I hurt her. It was an accident, but it frightened me and we were separated so I could try and learn to control them. But my fear only grew with my loneliness and inability to restrain them."_

_"But you have such strong command over them..."_

_"I do. Now. That only came to me during a very lonely part of my life, when I had just been crowned and lost Anna because of my powers."_

_"You hurt her again?"_

_"I killed her."_

The Gaul gaped dumbly at the woman next to him, extremely confused. _"I don't understand."_

The Queen nodded and laughed weakly at herself. She turned sideways on the seat and faced her guard,

_"Forgive me, no one has told you the disaster of my coronation, have they?"_

When the Gaul shook his head, Elsa sighed and launched into the morbid tale. Crixus listened attentively as she told him how she lost control at the celebration and ran off into the Mountains. How she lost control when her sister found her to try and apologize and bring her home. How she chased her away after unintentionally shooting a lance of ice into her chest and how she was nearly murdered for being a witch (he cringed at that one, remembering his own words from weeks ago). She told him how she was locked away in her own dungeon and broke free, only for her Sister to sacrifice herself and save her from the blade of the man who wished to steal Arendelle away from them. And then how Anna's act of love for Elsa restored her life and gave the Queen the key to the control of her powers. It was quiet the fantastical fairytale. When he remained silent in thought, attempting to process what he had just been told, the Queen rose tiredly to her feet.

_"It must be hard to believe, I won't be offended in the least if you don't."_

_"Forgive me, but I will do my best to. I just... Need to think about it."_

Elsa smiled thinly and bowed her head in a short nod of acceptance. The quiet clack of her heels and whisper of her gown across the floor echoed around the portrait hall as she retreated to try and rest. Just when she was about to walk through the door, it was Crixus's turn to call out to her.

_"Domina, have you killed anyone else?"_

She paused and faced him, that old anger returning to her stony face.

_"In my panic, I impaled the man who took Adam from me."_

_"Wait, he was murdered in front of you?"_

_"He was mortally wounded. I watched him die a few days later. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a long day tomorrow."_

And with that chilly explanation, the Queen was gone.

* * *

Kristoff groaned and threw down the eight-foot log he had been carrying since sunrise. The midday heat beat down on his sunburned shoulders in the Keep's training yard reserved for the Soldiers. Crixus dropped his own log and shook his arms out, wiping the sweat from his face. Kristoff flapped a hand at the logs and spoke one of the Latin words in his measly vocabulary.

_"Why?"_ He panted, pushing his shaggy hair off his flushed face.

Crixus said something to him and then frowned when he remembered they couldn't really understand each other. So he slapped his chest and flexed his muscles with a snarl, trying to mime that carrying the log would build endurance to make them strong. Somehow the mountain man understood the cavemanesque gesture and nodded vigorously. It was true that he was already strong; he hauled ice for a living and could pick up and twirl Anna around like she was a small child. But this was working different kinds of muscles that he didn't use as often. They could hear the church bells in the city chiming for noon and Kristoff had to suppress a sigh of relief. When Crixus had told him through the Queen's translation that his training would be grueling, he didn't realize exactly what he was getting himself into. For the past two weeks on every other day they would have endurance training in the mornings followed by combat in the afternoon. The only reason they weren't training together every single day was because they had other obligations with their jobs.

The men traipsed over to the small mess hall for the castle guard and gathered their meals of dried meat and a hunk of bread and cheese. Kristoff missed his usual rich foods; but the Gaul had stressed that to become strong, a change in diet must be made to support the energy needed for their activities. That mentality had led to blander meals filled with a healthy balance of grains and vegetables and meat with some fruit thrown in there. And even though it had been _just_ two weeks, he could feel the difference simply because of his new eating habits. And he could start to feel himself getting stronger ever though there was no physical difference yet. It would take a while, but Kristoff was glad that he was actually following through with his plans. It made him feel better knowing that if the time came, he would be prepared to defend his wife. Sure, he knew she was a fiery, independent, head-strong woman who didn't really he need him and that was okay. But he needed her and even though he knew Anna could take care of herself, most of the time, he was still paranoid after what had happened to Elsa in Rome. He started out of his thoughts when Crixus nudged him with his elbow.

"_Panem."_ He said brusquely and held up his bread.

"Bread." Kristoff responded.

"Brehd." The Gaul mimicked then took a bite as he sat down on the stone steps to the Mess. Kristoff thunked down next to him and held up his dairy.

"Cheese."

"_Caseum."_

"Casseeuhm."

The Gaul grinned and held up his dried beef, looked at it for a second, then took a bite out of it. Kristoff had to laugh and did the same. They'd been teaching each other the equivalent of simple words all day, but training had been their main concern. Even through their language barrier the two men had connected immediately, an unusual situation for the both of them. Normally Crixus would have stuck to his habit of keeping new acquaintances at an almost ridiculous distance, but Kristoff reminded him of himself. Not _exactly_ like him, but they shared a similar interest in getting stronger to protect those important to them. When they were nearly finished eating, the mountain man glanced over at his teacher and noticed the scowl on his face. It wasn't directed at anyone so he assumed he was thinking hard about something that bothered him.

"Crixus?"

The Gaul started and blinked a few times, and opened and closed his mouth a few times. Finally, he started to speak in a broken mix of Latin and _Bokmål._

"Domina, Queen Elsa… _ah… she is…"_ He thought for a second then pantomimed pain in his chest and trailed his fingers from his eyes down his cheeks like tears.

"Ohhh. Sad."

"_Sic. Ah…_ yes. Sad."

"Yes, she is sad." Kristoff answered him solemnly, nodding his head.

Crixus popped the last of his cheese in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully, the gears in his brain kicking into high gear. Kristoff wanted to know what the man was thinking, but he'd have to track down that ancient geezer of a tutor if he wanted to find out. He had a feeling the Gaul wouldn't want Elsa to know his plans.

* * *

Elsa touched her steepled fingertips to her lips that were pressed into the thinnest line her council had ever seen. The Queen was _not_ happy with their reports and it was taking all of her willpower not to explode in frustration. There had been no traces of any kind of assailant from the disaster in the fjord, which meant that the assassins from Rome were back and wreaking havoc. Their strategy was extremely blatant: weaken morale and loosen the favor the Queen held with her people. It was a political power play that eventually ended with her death if they didn't try to stop it while they could. She had been hoping that her intelligence network had been able to dig something up, but Mr. Rotte sat quietly with his mouth closed. There was no new news on the weasel, Sonderson Craffus that had sent the men after her in the first place.

"Well, this has been a rather unproductive afternoon." She groused dryly, arching an eyebrow in what Anna called her 'resting bitch face'.

"I should be hearing back from some more of my informants shortly, your Majesty. I sent them out earlier today in hopes of finding another lead. It was promising." The muddy Mr. Rotte finally spoke up for the first time in two hours.

The Queen arched an eyebrow further and tilted her head in acknowledgment. Ever since that encounter in the throne room, she had been more respectful towards him and it had not surprisingly paid off. They were still on the neutralist of terms, but there was an undercurrent of cooperation that had never been there before. If Elsa had realized earlier that simply treating the man the way he should have been treated all along, she would have gotten answers and results at a much quicker pace than she was already used to. It's true what they say that the Intelligence and the Spies, not the Royals, rule a Kingdom. Those people on the throne are pawns in the ever-ongoing struggle to keep the throne afloat in the constantly changing sea of political power struggle. It was a nasty and tiring business and Elsa was very glad to have such a shrewd man on their side.

"Any kind of time frame, Mr. Rotte? I know your employees can't rush their work but I'm growing weary of tramping in circles."

"Today at the earliest, the day after next at the latest. I wish I could be more specific." He lilted in his calming tone.

"As do I but safety and secrecy is key. Please come and find me when they report back, no matter the time. You are dismissed if you are needed elsewhere."

"Of course, thank you Queen Elsa." The un-intruding man nodded his head in respect and flitted from the war room in near silence.

The Icy monarch turned her attention back to her council, and saw they were just as upset as she was. True, it wasn't directly their lives on the line, but they were in just as much hot water as she was because of their positions. Assassination attempts on high-ranking officials and Royals were not uncommon at all, it was the fact that there was so little information available on who was behind them that troubled the Queen. She had been subject to idiots from surrounding kingdoms traveling to Arendelle just after the death of her husband under the guise of condolences only to be blatantly attacked. Four had made attempts on her life before the realization that she was not some weak willed woman sunk in. If anything, the pain had made her more vicious. The perfect examples, if Elsa ever needed to intimidate someone, were the impaled and weakly cowering ice statues located in the farthest hall of the keep. She had only had to take that route once, and she was grateful for it. The Queen didn't yet know if Crixus had stumbled upon the monstrous physical representations of her wrath, but she feared that she would have to show him soon enough. Elsa could tell that he thought of her as a mildly sheltered woman and if she were to gain his full trust and respect that false image would have to be dispelled. The tired Queen sighed and rose to her feet, the men and women around the table following suit without hesitation.

"Aster, if you would continue keeping the extra patrols in place that would be appreciated. Also I fear it's time to start looking for more recruits. Please be especially careful with the screening, I'll not have a mole in my Keep. And while I'm thinking about it, post two more guards to my sister and her husband."

"I'll try my best, my Queen. But we are short on men."

"There will be no 'try' when it comes to the concern of my sister. You will take two of my own and assign them to their new post."

"Your Maj-"

"_That will be all, Aster."_ She cut across his protest with a chilly glare.

"Yes, your Majesty." The burly Head of Guard and Master at Arms relented unhappily, lumbering to his feet and striding briskly out of the chamber.

"Kai, Gerda; don't hire any more help. I can't trust anyone new at the moment, even with extra screening. Thank you."

"Of course, Queen Elsa." The Head Chamberlin and Mother Seneschal left, leaving the Head of the Treasury, Arendelle's ambassadorial group, and Royal Secretary.

Elsa eased herself back down into her seat and looked each person in the eye, blindly accepting a sheaf of parchment from the big rock of a man who was her Court Secretary. "We are in a sticky situation, Gentlemen."

"The repairs for the damage to the ships in the Fjord were not as costly as we had originally predicted, your Majesty. Many of the families that had lost a member accepted your monetary gift, but then had given some of their own funds back to the coiffeurs." The mousy man who served as the Treasurer to the state flipped through his logs. The deep gravely voice of her Secretary spoke up next.

"In my thirty-six years serving, the people are banding together in a way I have never seen them do so before. They care for you and Princess Anna very much. I suggest you consider using it to your advantage."

Elsa thought for a moment as she glanced down at the page of notes she had been given, a review of what had been covered. She plucked her quill from its holder and made jotted down a few thoughts of her own. "I will use that course of action if needed, even if it is not my first choice-," A soft knock echoed on the door, distracting the Queen from her train of thought. The Secretary rose to his feet and plodded heavily to the door, cracking it open to see who it was. Elsa turned in her seat and watched a nervous Anna and serene Mr. Rotte slip inside the chamber with a nod of thanks. The young woman had a script from a passenger pigeon clutched tightly in her right hand. She spotted her older sister and strode quickly to her, worry blossoming on her freckled face.

"We just received this." She thrust her hand out to Elsa, forgoing any kind of polite social pleasantry. To see her sister gloss over her manners like that made a spike of dread twist in her chest.

"There were more, but this was the most disturbing." The Head of Intelligence supplied, stepping up to the table.

Elsa unraveled the crumpled paper and her eyes flew over the neat tiny code.

_They know of the Gaul and efforts are going to double. They have decided not to spare the Princess. They are coming for the Queen again. Will report again in a moon turn._

"Elsa, what are we going to do?" Anna whispered.

"What we have been doing. But we'll be ready. Thank you for your promptness, Mr. Rotte. Would you be so kind and stay so that we can discuss further arrangements to address this new information? Anna, you as well."

The calm coolness the young Monarch used to speak in was the exact opposite of the burning panic eating away at her insides. She couldn't afford the luxury to be upset about this any longer, there was no time left to do so and her energy was needed for more important tasks. The men and the Princess seated themselves at the table again and Elsa slumped back into her seat and sighed heavily, staring at the evil little note in her pale fingers.

"Alright, let's see what we can do about this…"


	7. Chapter 7

**Apparently when I'm sick I lose my card to be an adult. This past week I went and bought the **_**Frozen: Journey to the Ice Palace**_** AND **_**Thrills & Chills! **_**coloring books at Target along with **_**A Tale of Two Sisters**_** and the junior novelization of the movie. Now I just need **_**A Sister More Like Me**_** and the art book.**

**I am so gonna color the shit outta those things.**

**Remember, just because you're out of school and in the working world doesn't mean you have to be boring.**

**I regret nothing.**

**Also quick note, I am aware that Hydrogen Cyanide was not used in this time period, but for the story's sake it will be.**

Good Thing There's a Bodyguard

Birds chirped gaily outside in the warm sunshine while the flowers and trees finished up their blooming in the transition from spring to summer. The mild temperature had driven the townsfolk out in droves, including the Princess and the Queen. They were all still on edge after a long and tense month and a half, but the ruler's orders had been successfully followed which brought them some modicum comfort. But according to Mr. Rotte, the trails of information had been too lacking and some of them had even gone completely silent. It was chilling to know that even someone as accomplished as him was having more difficulty than normal with his job. It was something Elsa was beginning to worry about more and more as time crept by. Fortunately, it wasn't currently on her mind, her thought turned to happier topics as she strolled with her little sister through the brightly lit corridors of the Keep. They were enjoying the fresh air that washed in from the thrown open windows, the heavy curtains swaying gently with the breeze.

"All I'm saying is that chocolate is the food of the gods."

"But… eating it _off_ of someone as a syrup? That's ridiculous. And extremely messy." The Queen muttered and lightly blushed. "Wait, why are we talking about this again?"

"Because you saw me trying to sneak a jar out of the kitchens and asked me what I was going to do with it." Anna answered bluntly, her face dead panning.

"Oh yeah." Elsa paused and blankly stared off out the window they were passing. "I missed out on some creative sex, didn't I?"

"Well… You can't really feel too bad about that, you and Adam didn't have a whole lot of time together."

Elsa slumped at her sister's gentle tone and a sad smile twisted at the corners of her lips. "No, we didn't. But, that's beside the point. Kristoff is my brother and imagining you licking chocolate syrup off him is not an image I _ever_ wanted planted in my head."

"Hey, you were the one who asked. Not my fault you find it totally weird."

"Oh come on, there _is_ such a thing called discretion you know."

They started their meandering again, circling around the back of the keep. The sounds of men training in the yard drifted up to them as they reached the corner of where the two outside corridors intersected. Anna walked up to the sill of the open window and leaned lazily on it, her elbows resting on the wide surface so she could watch the hustle and bustle below. The Queen mirrored her pose and messed with the end of her heavy blonde braid. Squads of sweaty and grunting men toiled in the bright sun as they cycled through their drills and sparring opponents, steel flashing and boots scuffing on the hard packed dirt. Over in the corner of the sparring grounds a crowd was growing. Hoots and hollers drew the attention of the Royals and they caught a glimpse of deep bronze skin and shaggy blonde hair. Anna perked up and turned to her sister.

"Let's go watch!" She exclaimed in excitement, pushing up from her lounged position and capturing her sister's closest elbow.

The Queen didn't have a say in the matter as the Princess hauled her unceremoniously down the empty hall to a small servant's access stairwell. She let Anna rush on ahead of her and chose to take the stairs at a less than breakneck speed. She heard Anna bust through the wooden door at the ground level and immediately shush the guards on the other side. They obliged her easily and were about to close the door when the red head stopped them and poked her head back into the stairwell.

"_Hurry up, we'll miss the action!"_ She hissed just as the blonde rounded the last curve.

"Go on, I'll catch up." She shooed the energetic red head on, a grin tugging at her lips.

A mumbled 'slow poke' reached her ears just before the Princess flitted away. The monarch couldn't contain an exasperated sigh and eye roll, meeting the gaze of one of the amused guards.

"You boys didn't see that." She teased and swept out into the yard, echoed _"yes ma'am's"_ reaching her retreating black and blue clad figure.

The soldiers had all halted in their training and were crowded in the furthest corner of the yard. Shouts of jubilation and jeers of disappointment echoed around the stone walls over the clash of wooden training swords and grunting of fighting men. Elsa watched the bright strawberry blonde of Anna's braids disappear into the soldiers and couldn't help but let the kernel of anticipation grow in her belly. As she reached the crowd a cry of disbelief roared up around her and she had to touch the closest man on the shoulder to let him know she was there. The men were huge burly specimens of the human race, and every single one of them towered over her. The soldier she had touched was about to tell her to piss off but he caught his tongue in surprise. She held a finger up to her mouth in the sign to remain quiet and he nodded easily. Without a second thought, the man plowed into the fray and the Queen stayed right behind him. He must have been telling the others in front of him to make way for the Queen because she wasn't touched as she passed though. Anna may not care if she got dirty, but Elsa had three other meetings in an hour to attend to and she didn't want to change her clothing if she could help it.

The blonde was cleanly deposited at the very front of the circle next to her cheering sister and thanked the man who had helped her. He bowed and knelt next to her, turning his attention back to the show in front of them. In the wide ring was a straining struggle of about seven or eight men. The Gaul and the Mountain Man were whirling and flowing around each other in a well-trained team, guarding each other's backs and taking the offensive when the opening arose. Both men were bare-chested and mad snarling grins pumped full of adrenaline and aggression were nearly splitting their faces in two. They were enjoying this outnumbered fight immensely. And for Kristoff to have progressed so rapidly in this particular skill set made Elsa wonder how good he might grow to be. Crixus must be a very well versed teacher to have taught him to such skill so quickly… though she remembered Anna telling her that he was constantly practicing whenever he could so he must have a good bit of natural ability as well. A roar brought her from her thoughts and she stifled a gasp as Kristoff catapulted the bellowing Gaul off his back, ice blue eyes trained on his sailing form as he landed heavily on one of the soldiers. The man lost his sword and a mimed killing blow was dealt to the ground right next to his neck. One down.

"_YEAH CRIXUS! KICK HIS ASS._" Exploded from the petite body of her sister and a roar of laughter and agreement rose up around them.

So much for staying quiet. The Gaul looked up in surprise and locked eyes briefly with an amused Elsa, his grin stretching wider when he realized she was there to watch _him._ The moment was over in a millisecond and the powerful gladiator was tumbling to the aide of his partner in crime, mule-kicking his feet out and catching one of the Arendelle guards squarely in the chest. A resounding '_ooooh'_ from the onlookers broke through the hoots and hollers and the Queen couldn't help but be impressed by that particularly acrobatic move. Crixus mimed another killing blow and the panting opponent he had just kicked rolled out of the scuffle. The well-built man whirled to his feet in easy grace and ducked under a practice blade, his own clacking loudly on another's shield. His shoulders bunched and flexed severely under his sweat-slicked skin, throwing different muscles into stark relief as the power shifted through his burly frame. The match continued on in a flurry of blows and kicks, the Arendelle soldiers quickly dropping like flies under the talented sword of the Queen's personal guard.

The past few weeks had been interspersed with random late night meetings in the portrait gallery, where the Queen and the Gaul would talk and share stories of their lost loved ones. It was a therapeutic and painfully needed healing process that both of them desperately needed to learn how to cope. It had been a bit more difficult for Crixus since he had lost Naevia so recently but he found comfort in the cool presence of the Queen sitting by his side. They only touched when their tears and grief consumed them, but it was still only a hand to hold at the most to lend physical support. The process had dramatically helped them both, bringing them together through their own forms of loss to something… a little closer to friends. They had started teasing each other about little nonsensical things, firing short little jabs at the other. All in good fun of course… But then Anna had to go and get all snoopy when they were laughing over how one of the neighboring Kingdom's new dignitary looked like a pot bellied pig. So now she was convinced that her sister was falling for the foreign man and teased about it every time the opportunity arose. Elsa knew she meant well, but sooner or later the Princess's dress was going to be stuffed full of slushy snow again if she didn't dial it down…

Anna groaned loudly in disappointment when Kristoff stumbled and found himself at the end of a practice sword, 'dead'. He slumped his shoulders slightly in defeat and stumbled out of the mock battle, accepting slaps on the shoulders and back good naturedly as he rounded the edge to his wife. He knelt next to her and grinned up through his damp bangs, his rapid breathing making his broad chest heave. Anna swept the dirty hair off of his forehead and kissed him chastely, praising him for lasting as long as he did. Elsa watched their exchange out of the corner of her eye and violently quashed the jealously that bloomed in her chest. It wasn't fair to them for her to feel that way. Ice blue eyes snapped back to the match and turned focused and calculating, rapidly studying the powerful gestures of the men in front of her. They were all fighting as hard as they could and Elsa knew it was because none of them wanted to fail and disappoint her. They were truly impressing her but the Gaul was still outshining all of them. Within a matter of minutes, the remaining soldiers were laid out and Crixus stood triumphantly over them. A roaring crowd cheered him on and rushed in to tease their beaten comrades. The Queen hung back with her sister and brother-in-law, letting the men release some more of their rowdy energy. Soon enough, Aster appeared and disbanded the rowdy men with sharp exasperated barks of authority. Moan of disappointment followed the men as they wandered back to their previous tasks, taking a second to stop and pay respect to their monarch. The Gaul approached the royal family and laughed deeply when Kristoff hauled himself to his feet and took his forearm in a brotherly shake.

"You fight well, Kristoff." He rasped.

"You're still a lot better than me." He laughed back.

"Go, rest. Done for day." The Gaul grunted in his broken _Bokmål_.

Kristoff nodded his head in thanks and turned back to Anna, sweeping her up with one thick arm and carrying her off with a chuckle as she complained about him getting her clothes dirty. Elsa watched them go and stamped down another unwanted jolt of jealously. She felt the heat radiating off of Crixus as he stepped up beside her. He smelled of dirt and masculine musk and spices. The blonde drew comfort from his imposing presence and focused back on the patiently waiting man.

"_You fought very well."_ She switched to Latin.

"_I still am not as well as I was… before… but gratitude for your kind words."_

Elsa shot the huffing man a wry look and told him to just take the compliment. He ducked his head in mild embarrassment and handed his practice sword off to a young passing stable boy. He realized that the Queen was rather relaxed today and it pleased him to see his _Domina_ so at ease for the first time in weeks. They were strolling across the training grounds around the soldiers who were back hard at work. They reached a side gate and Crixus held it open for her as they exited into a smaller cobblestone courtyard. The iron gate clanked loudly behind them and the clamor from the soldier's yard was somewhat muted. The Gaul caught up to her and tried a few times to say something, each attempt met by a curious look.

"_Spit it out already._" She quipped tartly, arching an eyebrow in mild aggravation.

"_I wish to teach you how to defend yourself."_ Spilled out of his mouth in a rushed jumble of words. "_Not that… you are helpless… but. What I'm trying to say is…"_ He trailed off in embarrassment when Elsa stopped and pivoted towards him, her brow shooting to her hairline.

"_You wish to teach me the sword."_

"_Yes, Domina. I… feel that it would be beneficial to your safety if you were to learn the sword."_

Elsa stared him down as his request whirled around in her head. It was not uncommon for one of her status to learn to defend themselves, in fact it was highly encouraged. She just felt that with her powers, her curse, she wouldn't need to. Obviously the Gaul thought differently. She hadn't realized she had been staring over the top of his broad shoulder for nearly a minute as she mulled over the offer. He cleared his throat and jolted her from her thoughts, a pretty pink blush dusting her high cheekbones.

"_If you think it best, I will agree to learn from you."_

"_I-truly?"_

"_Yes, truly. Now go get cleaned up, I require your presence in my next engagements this afternoon."_ The Gaul could tell she was still a little bit embarrassed and bit his lips to keep himself from smirking at her rarely seen discomfort.

"_Of course, Domina."_

* * *

Queen Elsa swept into the Throne room full of her council and awaiting dignitaries and townsfolk, her maroon cloak billowing out behind her and Crixus dressed in his best gleaming armor and _subligar_ at her right elbow. The olive green of the length of cotton fabric draped about his wide shoulders contrasted attractively against his bronzed skin, looking thoroughly wild and masculine next to the fair and elegant Queen of Arendelle. Their presence in the vast hall was imposing and the Gaul had to try hard to contain his swagger and ego that swelled with the attention. He _did_ miss the attention from the arena dreadfully, it had made him feel alive and wanted in a dark and somewhat fruitless part of his life. The biggest contributor to his good mood was the familiar weight of a blade strapped to his hip. Before they had entered the hall, Elsa had presented him with his new sword. It was a beautifully crafted half-hand of Damascus steel and a bright copper vein, mimicking the size and shape of his old _gladius_. The sword was lighter than his old iron weapon and far superior in its edge. If he had dared, he would have picked the petite woman up and swept her into a bone crushing hug. But he settled for a heartfelt thank you and renewal of his vow of service to her.

"I apologize for my tardiness, I had some business come up at the last second." Elsa murmured to an approaching Kai as she began to mount the steps to the immense seat on the marble dais. There was no need to explain that it was because Crixus had been too overwhelmed with gratitude.

"Don't worry your Majesty, your entrance finally shut these idiots up." He groused. It appeared it was going to be one of _those_ afternoons if the usually patient man was already annoyed.

Elsa touched her gloved fingers to his elbow in sympathy before sliding into her seat. Crixus stationed himself solemnly behind her and began to survey the room. His dark eyes peered blankly into any face that turned his way as he judged whether or not they would be a threat to his _Domina_. Yes, she was his _Domina_ now, a title he proudly bestowed her with. The Gaul may still have a small grudge against her for not leaving him frozen in the ground, but the Fates had a way of turning you on your head when you least expect it. Now his loyalty in her only grew and the man couldn't help but glance down at her. The long thick braid was resting over her left shoulder again and Crixus marveled at how perfectly tousled it looked even with her glittering silver and gold jeweled crown nestled in the swoopy platinum locks. He had met many women in Capua who had tried and failed for the very look she was effortlessly sporting. Her high-necked collar of her black tunic made the lines of her slender throat swooped into the graceful contours of her slim shoulders. The Queen's back was straight but not rigidly so as she leaned forward in attentiveness when the steward called the first dignitary forward. Elsa crossed her right leg over her left knee and listened carefully to the new trade pitch the portly man was requesting. Crixus didn't understand much of it, his ability to understand her language elementary at best.

As quickly as he had approached, the man was sent away with a promise of a second meeting the following day-probably more than he had dared to hope for. Arendelle had grown to be a huge hub of trade and textile manufacturing over the past few years thanks to the Queen. After her disastrous Coronation, the young woman had taken it upon herself to personally improve the wealth of her nation. Especially since she had permanently terminated any sort of contact with the now struggling Weselton. It also helped that she could create nearly infinite blocks of ice that took an absurdly long time to melt-a huge consumer commodity in the summer months. Ever since word had gotten around that the Snow Queen from the north wouldn't be using her curse unless provoked, kingdoms flocked to set up trade agreements and good ties to avoid that from ever happening.

All of the new to Arendelle dignitaries were promptly dealt with and Soon the Queen was plowing through the returning men and women with a more jovial air. She asked of their families and their coworkers, glad to have some familiar faces to talk to. It made Crixus wonder if she had any friends outside of her sister and her brother in law. The Gaul shook himself from his thoughts and returned diligently to his task, drinking in every detail he could of the people waiting in the vastly vaulted hall. Elsa took much longer to talk to this group of people and Crixus had to step back and silently pace to wake himself back up a few times. His muscles burned from the intense sparring battle he had found himself in earlier that day. It had been a decent amount of time since he had worked himself so hard, but it was a small price to pay considering the fact that his body miraculously hadn't atrophied over the centennials. Finally, the last man from Corona was sent away and it was the townsfolk's turn to have an audience. A young man of about seventeen stumbled forward and felt to his knees, pleading with the Queen to help his family. He said the attack on the harbor had taken his father and now he was trying to support his mother and four small siblings. It put an immediate damper on Elsa's mood but there was something off about him to the Gaul. He leant down and whispered close to her ear, his eyes trained on the weeping boy and his right hand on the hilt of his sword.

"_My Queen, apologies, but this boy reminds me of a snake of a Syrian I once had the displeasure of knowing. Watch your back, he will strike when it is turned."_

The monarch leaned back in her seat, concern slowly being replaced with a cold calculating look. She let the boy blubber on for another long moment as she watched his body language. Elsa didn't have as much experience in reading other people as she would have liked, and trusted her protector with his advice.

"_Well, let's go see what happens when I do."_ She muttered and rose to her feet as the Gaul quietly growled in disagreement.

"_I do not believe that to be a wise decision, Domina. You will be in danger."_ He hissed; following so closely on her heels he had to be careful not to tread on the edges of her cloak with his heavy boots.

"_That's why I have you here, Crixus. To protect me."_ She told him tartly with an arched eyebrow, effectively ending their hushed conversation.

A scowl plastered itself across his chiseled face and he glared down at the groveling boy and frowned deeper when the Queen bent to his level. He didn't pay attention to her even soft-spoken words but pinned the younger male under a steely and unrelenting gaze, silently loosening his blade in its scabbard. The Queen nodded and Crixus unconsciously extended his left hand to help her up. Her slim fingers nervously squeezed his for just a second, her signal to him that she was ready for what she was about to do. Crixus squared his shoulders in response and pulled the woman to her feet in a smooth practiced motion, turning his face away from the rising young man but watching him out of his peripheral vision. He thanked the Monarch profusely and bowed humbly, his trembling hands clasped in front of his chest. A funny little flutter in his chest followed the sensation of her hand slipping from his and he nearly lost his conversation.

But as soon as she turned to walk back to the throne, there it was.

A barely visible flash of steel no wider than the Gaul's pinky finger but longer than his hand slipped from the boy's baggy sleeve. Instinct seized his senses and adrenaline roared through his veins when he registered that he had not been misguided with his gut feeling. Unfortunately. A single fluid movement had his left strong arm wrapping around Elsa's slim waist and whirling her away while his right hand simultaneously drew his sword from between them with a metallic hiss. The blade flashed through the air and whistled with unbelievable speed in the thick silent pause of the room, his _Domina's_ gasp of surprise deafening in his ear. A short tug of resistance jarred his descending sword and a wet thud and skitter of steel on the polished marble floor echoed loudly in the hall. Crixus lashed out again but with his right foot, firmly booting the assailant in the stomach. A piercing scream rang loudly against the stonewalls as the cowering boy cradled the stump of his right wrist to his chest, deep red blood pumping thickly from the near clean cut onto his tunic and pooling on the floor.

Crixus sucked in steady even breaths and waited for the boy to make another move. He was unaware of how tight he was holding the Queen to his side, but could feel the cool burn of her arms wrapped around his ribs like bands of iron. The soft suppleness of her body made him realize that he hadn't touched another woman this intimately since Naevia, even if it was of a non-sexual nature. The Gaul kept his weapon pointed at the writhing man on the ground and turned his gaze down to the grim face of the monarch. Her uneven breath washed over his bare chest and it made him tighten his hold on her.

"_Domina?"_ He rasped out, taking a deep breath when she looked up at him with flat blue eyes that brimmed with cold fury. The sight made an odd feeling flop in his chest.

"_It seems you were correct."_ She bit out in a growl, slowly releasing the Gaul from her grasp. He kept his large hand on her waist though, afraid something or someone else would charge forward in an attempt to harm her.

Elsa glared down at the pitiful form in front of them and the temperature in the throne room _dropped_. She deliberately removed her gloves and handed them blindly to the Gaul, ignoring the panicked murmurs and whispers that cropped up among the spectators. She raise her right hand to her shoulder and viciously slashed it down across her body, ice careening out of her fingertips with deadly precision and freezing the assassin's hands to the floor with a nasty _crack_. The man howled again as his flesh froze to his bone. The Queen stepped forward and was nearly startled when a silent Mr. Rotte appeared at her left, his face set in an impassively serene mask.

"My apologies, your majesty. It seems I have failed in finding this little rat." He muttered to her, a slight edge in his voice informing her that the man was beyond furious with his employees.

"No matter. He has been caught now." Elsa answered him, taking a deliberate step forward. "Whom do you work for?"

The man laughed weakly at her icy tone, his sickly pale face stretching nastily over slack muscles. When she was about to repeat her demand, he bit down hard on something in his mouth. Mr. Rotte dove into the limp body but it was already too late. Barely three minutes passed and the man was dead, foaming blood at the mouth from hydrogen cyanide poisoning as his flesh melted from his skull.

"Oh, how lovely." The Master of Intelligence sing-songed to himself, shaking his head in mock disappointment. Elsa could feel the anger radiating off of his slight form and it made her take an unconscious step back towards Crixus.

"Your Majesty, I suggest you retire for the rest of the day." The plain man firmly suggested, rising to his feet as the Keep's guards began to herd the still remaining people out of the throne room at a brisk pace.

"One that I will gladly follow. Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Rotte. Let me know what you find out about this… boy."

"At once, your Majesty." He bowed stiffly and strode away, anger beginning to bristle in his thin frame.

The Queen and the Gaul watched him go for just a moment and then turned to face each other. Crixus expelled a snort through his nose and stumped over to the corpse on the floor, seizing the tail of the linen shirt and carefully wiping his blade clean. Elsa watched him mutely as he finished his task and turned back to her gaze, but neglected to sheath the weapon. They stared at each other grimly for a moment longer before the blonde woman sighed deeply in defeat.

"_It seems the rest of my afternoon has been freed up without my consent. Shall we start those lessons?"_

"_With pleasure, Domina."_


	8. Chapter 8

**BIG congratulations to the Frozen team for winning TWO Oscars! HELL YEAH!**

**Heeeell yeah that last chapter was so much fun to write… as was this one **_**oh jeebus**_**. I also took a little liberty with Crixus's height. Manu Bennett is 5'11", but I'm making him to be about 6'4" since I keep thinking Elsa is 5'6".**

**A HUGE, and I mean HUGE thank you to my beta on this chapter. It helps to write training scenes when your bff/beta is a third degree black belt and testing for her Master's in Tae Kwon Do and knows what the hell she's talking about.**

**Also, WARNING there is a 'graphic' torture scene and pretty strong language.**

Intruder

Crixus wandered around the portrait gallery and let his eyes rove over the multitude of oil paintings for the hundredth time. His bare feet slapped softly against the polished oak floor and the two wooden practice swords in held in his hand clanked when he cradled his wrist with his free hand. It was barely an hour after the newest attempt on the Queen's life and the Gaul was waiting on her to appear for her first lesson in defense. He padded over to the furthest end of the hall and studied the large portrait of the Queen herself. She looked so stiff and distant, a strong hold on her royal scepter and orb made her shoulders hunch in what he could only guess to be an uncomfortable position. He decided the painting was beautiful, but didn't even give credit to how beautiful she really was. Crixus's mind came to a screeching halt at that last thought, confusion furrowing his brow. Why had he thought that?

"Crixus?"

The soft voice of the Ruler of Arendelle spoke up from a few feet behind him and the Gaul jumped slightly in surprise. He spun on his heel and was lost for words for a split second. Elsa was dressed in plain-clothes, black leggings that ended at her ankles and hugged her slender legs and a light cotton tunic that wasn't too loose or too tight around her body reaching mid-thigh. Her hair was still back in its heavy braid but the crown was gone. The Queen's feet were also bare and Crixus realized that's why he didn't hear her approach. He bowed his usual greeting and brought his hands out from behind his back, extending her the lighter of the wooden training swords.

"Ready?" He asked, his tongue feeling out the foreign word.

The Queen sighed heavily and couldn't help the brief look of nervousness that flitted behind her eyes. She hesitantly reached out for the hilt and paused when he drew back a fraction of an inch.

"_When you hold your weapon, it becomes an extension of your body. It is not merely a thing to be swung around."_ He offered the practice sword again and let her take it, watching her wrap her slim fingers around the grooved grip. "_Today I will teach you how to hold it and how to hold yourself. Perhaps more if we make good time._

"_Think of it like an aggressive dance where you are the only participant."_ The Gaul let the frowning Queen take the training weapon out of his hand and watched her twist her wrist around in an attempt to get a feel of it.

"_It's heavier than I thought."_

"_It will grow lighter with time. Now."_ He gripped his own training sword in his right hand and showed her his grip, but a funny look passed over his face. He had said a similar phrase to Naevia when he first started to teach her. The Gaul shook the thought from the forefront of his mind and returned back to the task at hand.

"_When you hold your weapon, do not choke it. Have a firm grip, but not too loose that you lose it when you strike at your opponent."_

"_I'll be getting calluses, won't I?"_ She groused, her arm beginning to tremble from holding up the constant weight. Annoyance with her own muscles made her force the tremor away.

The Gaul barked a laugh and nodded. "_Yes, your hands will be of a man's texture. But a few calluses are a minor trade off."_ He teased gently. "_Show me your hold."_

Elsa held her fist up and let the Gaul check her grip, poking and prodding at her fingers then giving the blade a sharp tug to test the tightness of her hold. He grunted in acceptance when he didn't pluck it from her fingers and took a step back.

"_Which is your dominant hand?"_

"_My right."_

"_Then that will be the hand you strike with. I am going to teach you how to use your blade with just your dominant hand, as I do. It will leave your left free for defense and your powers."_

"_You aren't going to make me carry logs like you did with Kristoff, are you? Because if you are…"_

"_No, Domina. The form I am going to teach you is not the heavy handed hammering of the arena, but one of more fluid motion. Your body, because it is not hardened, will do better with such an adaptive gait. Mimic my pose."_

Crixus took a few steps and led them out into a more open part of the portrait gallery, gesturing for the Queen to stand right next to his left. He braced his feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart with his right foot pushed forward. His body wasn't completely square to the front but angled off to the left and his chest and shoulders were tilted down and forward to center his weight. His back was still somewhat straight, but not slouched to lose any of his power. The Gaul held the training weapon firmly in his huge hand and held the point down in a seemingly relaxed position, but his slightly bent elbow readied him for rapid movement. His left arm was out by his side in a grappling position, hand open and ready to aid. As he was settling into his stance he walked Elsa through it slowly, watching her uncomfortably try to copy his stance.

"_Like this?"_

"_Close…"_ He rose from his stance and circled the slim woman.

"_You are too stiff. If you lock up your shoulders, you will be unable to move."_ He placed his hand flat between her shoulder blades and pressed forward gently, moving her into a more centered bearing. She let him manipulate her like a puppet, answering his questions when he asked what felt more natural.

"_How does that feel?"_ He stepped back and crossed his corded arms in front of his chest, eyeing her way her feet were splayed.

"_Better, comfortable."_

"_Good. Remember this position. Practice it when you can. Remember that a lower stance will bring you better balance."_ Crixus noticed the rapid rise and fall of her chest.

"_Breathe, you cannot even stand if you do not breathe."_ She took a breath and Crixus frowned again when he realized that she wasn't fully utilizing her lungs.

"_Relax. Let me teach you to breathe before we try anything else."_

"_How is my breathing incorrect?"_ A hint of annoyance crept into her tone as she straightened up and dropped her arms to her sides, the dull point of wooden weapon clacking onto the floor.

"_You are breathing solely from your chest. You must also breathe from your core. But not so deeply that you lose wit."_ He demonstrated, breathing in slowly through his nose with the use of his diaphragm. His ribs first expanded out and up, followed by his chest as his lungs filled. The slide of lean muscle over bone was a mesmerizing thing to watch and Elsa found it difficult to focus only on that and not the fact that he was completely bare from the waist up. The Queen tried to copy him but the tunic hid the stretch and pull of her core that he needed to see. Without a second thought to her personal space or the possible ramifications to their difference in status, he reached out and pressed his large left hand high onto her flat stomach to feel the movement. Elsa couldn't control the jolt of adrenaline that nearly jumpstarted her heart when the heat and weight of the Gaul's hand seeped into her skin through her lightweight tunic.

_It burned. Oh god, did it feel good._

Her breath caught in her throat and the monarch fought down a wave of _something_, trying to ignore her body's response to the warmth on her stomach and the natural spicy scent and lye soap that she could smell on him. So she took a deep breath and cursed the tingles blossoming out from the point of contact as the cloth of her tunic slid against her skin under the pressure of his palm. She risked a glance at him and was thankful that his gaze was focused on a random spot on the floor next to her foot. Elsa knew that he was just trying to help her, but the few long years of forced celibacy were suddenly erupting in an unwanted surge of craving for another's touch. Tiny spirals of frost crept out onto the wooden training sword being strangled in her grip as molten heat pooled low in her belly. She tried breathing fully again on his command and didn't do much better than her first couple attempts.

"_Still too shallow. Like this, Domina._"

Crixus tucked his practice sword into his right underarm and reached down, taking her limp left hand in his and promptly placing it flat onto his bare stomach at the very top of his abdomen under the edge of his rib cage. His skin was almost unbearably scorching against the Queen's cool hand and the resulting shock and massive blood rush to her head made Elsa inhale deeply at the exact moment he did. She must have finally breathed the way he wanted her to because she saw him nod to himself on the edge of her vision. She could feel her face burning and couldn't help how shaky her exhale was through parted lips. The flustered monarch kept her gaze locked on her hand trapped underneath the Gaul's long fingers, trying to desperately quell the growing serpent's knot deep in her belly by continuing to breath with him. She was fascinated by how fair her unblemished skin was compared to his coppery body crisscrossed with old scars, and how weathered his hand looked on hers.

If Elsa remembered correctly, this was maybe the fifth or sixth time they had actually touched while they were both conscious. It was by far the most intense encounter she'd had with him so far, not counting the time when he woke in her study. They just stood there in silence and breathed for a long couple minutes, falling into an easy rhythm that fit their own bodies even if they weren't in sync anymore. Elsa could feel the difference already, her head feeling clearer and her body more relaxed and rejuvenated. Hands didn't fall from where they were placed, greedily soaking up the body heat of the other under the guise of a breathing exercise. The Royal and the Gaul were so focused on the other that they didn't see the smug form of the Princess leaning casually on the wide doorframe at the opposite end of the hall. Anna had bee there since the beginning of their breathing drill, the urge to pump her first and scream, "_I told you so!,"_ at her sister growing by the second. She had also just won herself a pretty little penny in the Keep's betting pool on how the Queen _really_ felt about her Gladiator.

"_Good._" Crixus rumbled softly, his deep raspy voice reverberating deliciously through his chest and into the Queen's hand.

Elsa _did_ have her blushing under control until that very moment he decided to speak, the familiar heady heat creeping back up her neck and into her face. She looked up through her lashes and swallowed hard when crystalline blue met dark brown. A curious expression had morphed the man's face into one of confusion, realization, and terror and… dare she think it? Something akin to what was roiling in her belly?

_Attraction._

The ruler tried to break eye contact, her mind screaming at her that this was _not_ a good idea. That she needed to remember that she had told herself that she wasn't going to put her heart out there again. That thought was quickly dashed aside when his fingers tightened and pressed her hand firmer into his body, the muscles on his forearm rippling in a way that would have appealed to Elsa had her gaze still not been fixed to his face. Her fingers splayed wider across his stomach and her weight rocked forward, leaning a little into his solid form without her consent. The unsteady movements made Crixus take a small step towards her, the hand on her stomach sliding around her side and curving into the small of her back. The jittery motions pushed them both closer together in a way that would raise many eyebrows had it happened in public. A soft gasp escaped Elsa's lips and her hand crawled around to the side of his ribs his hand still covering hers, burning into his skin like a brand. The Queen had to tilt her head up so she could keep her eyes locked on his and almost gasped again when she realized how close his face was to hers. They froze, unsure of what to do. Crixus clenched his jaw shut when he felt the soft brush of her cotton tunic on his torso as she inhaled, fighting down the sudden blinding urge to crush her body to his and satiate the dull hunger gnawing steadily at his belly.

"_What is this? What are we doing?_" He asked her in a barely audible whisper, fright bleeding into his eyes but his hands refusing to move.

"_I don't know…_" She answered just as quietly, her voice sounding faint to her own ears. "_Should we stop?"_

"_I… don't know."_

"_Crix-"_

"YOUR MAJESTY!"

The sudden cry cracked through the heavy atmosphere like a peal of thunder, a panicked Kai sprinting into the hall as fast as his portly legs could carry him. The Queen and the Gaul sprang apart as if they had been burned, guilty blushes turning their cheeks crimson.

"Queen Elsa! Your assistance is needed at once!"

The thoroughly flustered woman expelled a heavy breath and met the panicked man halfway across the portrait gallery, an equally uncomfortable Crixus following in her wake. A questioning glance was cast down her oddly dressed form and registered the wooden training swords, making his brow quirk in a barely concealed expression of surprise. His brow rose further when the Gaul tugged the practice weapon from her loose grip and her face grew redder. He would have to talk to Gerda later, but right now that wasn't important in the _slightest_.

"Kai, what is it?" She asked, trying to control her wavering voice, her eyes flashing to the quickly approaching form of her worried sister and then back to the puffing man.

"The wells! What ever that boy who attacked you had in his mouth has been dumped into all of Arendelle's main water wells."

The pause was deafening.

"_WHAT?!"_

The three other people in the hall flinched away from the furious monarch and the icy blast that emanated from her petite form. The icy gale whipped her hair and clothing tightly around her body for a brief moment until she reined her powers in. Kai stepped to the side and gestured for her to pass, and on her way out she screeched at no one in particular:

"This day is turning into a GODDAMN _CLUSTERFUCK!"_

* * *

The Queen of Arendelle was standing rigidly next to the main well in Arendelle's town square, the only people present were she and Crixus and Aster with a team of his soldiers scouring the yard. The city was now on semi-lockdown. All twelve of the main public wells had been contaminated with a strong solution of cyanide, already claiming up to thirty victims and at least twenty animals. The people had been sent home and told not to consume any of the entire city's well water until further notice. When they had asked about water, the Queen authorized an emergency usage of the blocks of ice that were to ship the following day. Her maroon cloak hung limply about her slim shoulders, the monarch having taken a few moments to change back into the clothing she had been wearing earlier that day. Crixus stood as still as a statue behind her, his hand on his blade and his eyes constantly scanning the surrounding buildings and alleyways. He was having a little difficulty staying on task; the heat of the phantom handprint on his ribs from where Elsa had anchored herself tingling.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Rotte has sent some news." Aster approached, his face grim.

"Well?"

"It seems they have captured an intruder. He is currently being held in the Keep's Dungeon."

"I see." She barely waited a second later before striding off back towards the main gates of the castle, the Gaul and the Head of Guard trailing after her. Aster whistled sharply and his team of soldiers fell in around them in a well-practiced manner. The brisk pace Elsa set had them back inside the gates in ten minutes, the shouts of the guards and groaning gates bringing Anna out of the castle with Kristoff on her heels. The Queen veered off to the left towards the Soldiers' quarters, the quickest access to the dungeons. Anna jogged over to her and fell in at her side, worry coloring her face and posture.

"Anna, you do _not_ want to come with me right now."

"Why not?" She asked, disbelief lancing into her voice.

"Because I am in a very dangerous mood and I am afraid that your opinion of me will change." She told her sister quietly, unable to look at her.

"I've seen you at some pretty low lows, Elsa. I don't think a pissed off you is gonna scare me away."

The Queen just shot her a look that bluntly said '_don't say I didn't warn you_' and strode on. They passed quickly through the courtyards and descended into the Keep. The air grew damp and cool the deeper they went, the heavy earthen musk of mold and mildew threatened to choke them. Oil sconces were burning dimly and reflecting off of the condensation on the stone walls and steps. Boots echoed eerily in the winding downward spiral, different stenches of old rot and feces and coppery blood permeated through the stale corridors and rooms. Deeper and deeper they went until finally Mr. Rotte appeared in front of them; wiping his hands clean on a filthy rag.

"Your majesty, I was not expecting you down here." He greeted, his light willowy voice out of place in the dank corridor.

"Forgive me but I can be impatient, Mr. Rotte. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all! In fact, we had just sent for the Troll King not ten minutes ago. He should be arriving shortly." He stepped to the side and gestured for her to pass. "This way please."

"Why have you called Pabbie?" She asked, ignoring the odd looks from Anna and Kristoff as she continued on with the Master of Intelligence at her side, Crixus prowled silently behind them all.

"I am having some… minor difficulties gaining the information I need and hoped he would be willing to aid us. His powers in manipulating the mind could be very beneficial to us and the safety of the Kingdom."

The small group turned a few more corners and came upon a chamber; the iron-barred cells on the far side of the room were all empty except the one in the very middle. A rough-hewn wooden table had been moved up close to the cell and was laden with tools and weapons and a stack of rags, some already bloodied. Two guards were stationed inside the small compartment, standing sentry over a man chained to the granite wall. The left side of his jaw was swollen and a red and purple bruise was blossoming over the opposite temple. He looked up from his lap and grinned an unstable blood-tinged smile, red-black spittle dribbling down his chin. His dirty blonde hair was plastered to his sweaty forehead, brown eyes glazed and slightly unfocused. Elsa stopped just outside of the open cell door and peered down at the captured intruder through cold and calculating eyes. She sneered in disgust when he hacked a loud laugh and spat in her direction, the phlegm splattering onto the grimy cobblestone between his outstretched legs. The Queen felt rather than heard the low rumble from the growling Gaul as he stepped up to her elbow. His towering form bristling with energy and taken offense so close to her back was an oddly comforting feeling. But at the same time it was a little distracting since her body was still pretty tightly wound from their earlier encounter. Feeling the heat of his body radiating through her cloak make for an interesting mix of emotions.

"Long live the _Queen_." The man mocked, his split lips curling cruelly over pinked teeth.

"_Charming_. And he won't say anything?"

"No, your majesty. Nothing other than curses and insults."

"I see."

Their clipped conversation was cut short when Pabbie rolled up and unfolded himself, his leafy green cape hanging heavily about his compact body. His stony face was set in a grim frown, obviously already aware of the dire situation Arendelle was in. He bowed to Elsa and waddled into the cell, ignoring the shocked and terrified look he was getting from the man chained to the wall with iron manacles. A small struggle ensued but Pabbie _was_ made of stone, the intruder was soon forced back into the wall and whimpered uncontrollably as the Troll King rifled through his memories. It only took a moment and when Pabbie stepped back he was even grimmer than before.

"Queen Elsa, I'm afraid he has somehow trained himself to compartmentalize his thoughts. I cannot get to some of them without doing severe damage, possibly losing them before I reach them."

"_Well that's wonderful_." She muttered under her breath, glaring down at the cowering man.

"I could try, but I can't guarantee a return of anything useful." The old stone troll ventured, reaching back towards the intruder.

"No, thank you for your assistance Pabbie, but I don't want to risk it. Yet."

"Very well. Call upon me if you need me."

"I will, thank you."

Pabbie folded himself back up and trundled away, the men and women in the stone chamber remaining quiet until the last of his echoes disappeared. The Queen sighed deeply and watched the captured spy regain what was left of his composure. Elsa hardened her heart, knowing that sometimes force is the next step.

"Mr. Rotte. Perhaps Crixus and I could have an attempt?"

"By all means, please." The Spy Master stepped back and began to fiddle with the nasty looking devices on the table.

Elsa just barely turned her head over her right shoulder and spoke to Crixus. "_Crixus, I do not enjoy asking you this in the slightest, but we need answers. When I tell you to hurt him, do so."_

"_The cocksucker slighted you. There will be only the satisfaction of defending your honor in my blows."_ He snarled, the deep growl sending little running jolts of pleasure down the Queen's spine.

Elsa turned around and a smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth, her hooded eyes finding the Gaul's face. "_Let's get started then."_

"_With sincere pleasure, Domina."_ He rumbled again, his teeth flashing in the low light as an animalistic grin stretched across his face.

Crixus stepped around the Queen and into the cell, the sneer threatening to split his face. Elsa spotted a grim-faced Anna and Kristoff a few feet away, blankly watching what was happening in front of them. A pang of guilt and shame crossed her mind for the briefest moment, regretting the side of her they were about to witness. Elsa quickly shook it off and stepped into the cell, stifling a wince when Crixus kicked the man heavily in the ribs.

"What is your name?"

"_Fuck you, ice cunt._" He wheezed. Elsa nodded to the Gaul and he kicked him again.

"What. Is your name."

"I'm not tellin'. I don't have anything to say to you." The man puffed venomously.

"_Break a finger."_

A nasty _crack_ and a piercing scream echoed loudly in the barren chamber, rattling the iron bars in their grates. Elsa didn't cringe, but she heard Anna draw closer to Kristoff. She _really_ wished they weren't there.

"You still have nine fingers left. _What is your name."_

He spat at her feet. Crixus broke another.

"Name."

"I don't _have_ one. I gave it up." He snapped, finally giving in as he tried to jerk his hand out of the Gaul's steely grasp.

"There now, that wasn't so hard was it?" She drawled.

"_Fuck. You._"

Elsa didn't need to say anything to Crixus; the man automatically grabbed the two crooked fingers and twisted them in his fist. The man cried out again and tears leaked from his bloodshot eyes. The Queen let a sneer spread across her strikingly beautiful face, the expression didn't seem to fit and it twisted her lips.

"_Tsk_. I'd watch your tongue if I were you. Crixus _really_ likes to break fingers." The mentioned Gaul squeezed the mangled digits again for good measure.

"Who is your employer?"

The man glared up at her and breathed wetly through clenched teeth. Elsa shook her head in mock disappointment and glanced at the waiting Crixus.

"_Break that elbow."_

A sadistic toothy smile split the Crixus's face as he stood up, pulling the man's arm out to an uncomfortably straight position. A dark chuckle rumbled through his chest just before he drove his knee forward into the back of the man's elbow. The sickening _snap_ was louder than the two fingers combined and the yell just as louder. Elsa heard Anna gasp behind her and had to quickly block it out before her morals got the better of her. Her stomach lurched queasily when his elbow bent far past its natural angle and the bones of his arm protruded underneath his sallow skin in lumpy disfigurement. She schooled her expression into an icy mask of disinterest and studied her hands until the captured spy quit screaming.

"Now let's try this again. Who is your employer?"

The man continued to whimper, his free hand grasping at the bicep of his damaged arm. Mr. Rotte hummed a little ditty to himself and began to organize the tools and devices on the table. Vicious looking saws and blades were separated from an assortment of thumbscrews and a few choke pears. The merry tune set Elsa's teeth on edge but she refused to let it get on her nerves. Elsa stepped into the cell and crossed her arms over her stomach, cocking her hip out.

"Whom do you work for? If you don't answer quickly we'll get started on your other arm."

"I'm already dead, it don't make a difference." He slurred, spittle bubbling at the corners of his mouth.

"It will shorten your suffering."

The captured man barked a raspy laugh and spat a slew of curses at the Queen. She stood there impassively and let him tire himself out. While he was gasping for breath, Mr. Rotte sidled up beside her, twirling a serrated knife between his nimble fingers. They stared down at the writhing man while Crixus cruelly twisted his ruined arm, the bones popping and grinding audibly. Elsa freed one of her hands and formed a few wicked razor sharp icicles, twirling them mid air just above her fingers.

"If your Gaul grows weary of breaking bones, there are always the items on the table. I'm particularly fond of the Pear."

"Let's hold onto your toys for a little while longer, Mr. Rotte. I'm not really in the mood to sodomize someone today." She commented nonchalantly, loud enough for the pathetic man on the ground to hear.

"Oh… you're missing out." The Spy Master lilted, turning back to his table.

"_Crixus. Take these and put them in the muscles of his legs, please."_ The Queen held her hand out, the seven icicles twirling lazily.

The Gladiator released the man's twisted arm without warning and straightened up. He ignored the pained cry from below him and reached over, plucking the shards deftly from their suspension. They clinked together in his large fist and Elsa was almost sad to see such pretty little pieces of ice put to such a barbaric use. But she wasn't. This man had put her kingdom and its people in danger, already killing a small number of them. To let him get away with this despicable crime was something that she could just not allow. The Queen watched stonily as Crixus took the first icicle and drove it firmly into the fleshy meat of the man's calf, the sharp point easily piecing all the way through. He paused and made a show of deciding where to put the next one in the sobbing man's leg. The next target was the soft spot just above his knee and the Gaul drove it home with a sharp thrust. A strange mixture of shame and arousal swept through Elsa's body as she watched the muscles ripple and flex across Crixus's back and shoulders. This process continued until he had one of the shards left, he was still looking for a place to put it when The Queen called him off the attack.

"Thank you, Crixus."

The bronzed man stood up and took his place next to the monarch, crossing his arms and crunching the tip of the icicle off to eat. He must have been thirsty; a thin sheen of sweat was starting to form on his massive body. His hands were a little bloody and it smeared sickly across the end of the shard. Elsa had to quickly look away when his pink tongue swiped over the frozen water. She was already having a man tortured; she didn't need to have other indecent thoughts rampaging about in her head. So she took a step forward and crouched in front of the pitiful and bloody intruder, putting the Gaul out of her line of sight. The man looked at her hatefully through blurry vision and she tried again.

"Who is your employer? Tell me now and this will all stop."

He coughed and the saddest expression of defeat fell upon his broken body.

"_Sonderson Craffus_."

Elsa let a frustrated sigh escape her lips before she pressed them into a firm line, a scowl lowering her brow.

"We already know about Craffus and his involvement. Tell me something I don't know."

"How am I supposed to do _that?!_" He cried.

"Talk?" She answered him like he was a dull child, her eyebrows raising.

When he slumped there and spluttered in disbelief she cocked her head to the side and Crixus bent down so his ear was level with her mouth.

"_Grab his other arm but don't do anything until I say so."_

"_Yes, Domina."_

The Gaul held his icy treat tightly in his teeth and rounded the Queen. He ignored the whimpering cries of the terrified captive and roughly pulled the man's good arm out at an awkward angle, his huge hands tightening painfully on the trembling wrist and forearm. Crixus planted his heavy booted foot on the man's hip so he could get more leverage to tear the arm out of the shoulder socket. Mr. Rotte stepped into the cell and tiptoed around the bloody scuffs on the cobblestone from where it had dripped from the man's legs. He leaned casually against the grimy wall and turned his nose up in disgust when the sharp stench of ammonia and urine permeated the stale air. The man had wet himself.

"You were saying?" Elsa prompted.

"Uh, Craffus! I didn't see him in person, one of his servants hired me! I really don't know anything! The man that I met with said if I do this then I'll have all the gold I want… _please just let me go I was just following directions._" His panicky voice trembled and he flinched when Crixus tightened his grip.

"Unfortunately, your Majesty, he seems to be telling the truth. Or so he would like for us to think."

"_NO I SWEAR!_" He screeched shrilly.

"What did this servant look like?" Elsa leaned forward on her toes a little, meeting the man's glassy eyes.

"He-he was tall and thin. Red hair, green eyes. He spoke really well for a servant and he didn't look comfortable in his clothing. There was something wrong with him too, the way he smiled was not natural."

The gears in the Queen's head started turning and cold anger began to seep into her chest. The man he had described was starting to sound an awful lot like a particular Prince they had trouble with before. She hoped it wasn't Hans, but the disaster he had nearly caused had put both of their Kingdoms in a very sour relationship.

"Is that all?" She snapped, rising to her feet. The air dropped in temperature and all but her and Crixus shivered in response.

"_Yes!_" He yelled, tears of fright brimming.

"Mr. Rotte, it appears we have a new lead."

"I'll start on it at once, your majesty. Leave him in whatever state you please, I'll have a few of my mice take him out of here."

The willowy Spy Master tiptoed back out of the grimy cell and flitted from the room. A thick and heavy silence broken only by the captor's moaning cries fell upon the dank chamber. Elsa could hear Crixus breathing next to her and heard Anna and Kristoff shift behind them. She had forgotten they were there.

"_Crixus, we have the information we need."_

"_What shall I do with this lump of shit, Domina?"_

Her icy blue eyes snapped up to his and he understood even before she said it.

"Kill him."

The Queen turned sharply on her heel and stepped out of the cell just as the man's cried of desperation started up again. A moment later a deafening _crack_ echoed abruptly through the chamber and his cries immediately ceased. Anna and Kristoff jumped at the monstrous display of strength the Gaul displayed and the Princess grew a little green about the gills. Elsa swept out of the room with Crixus on her heels; the Princess and her husband following close behind. Wild energy thrummed through the blonde's veins and she swallowed down the urge to shove the Gaul into a dark corner right then and there. The blonde hadn't been that physically affected by another person in a very long time and it scared her. She scolded herself for having such thoughts and strode on and up through the twisting passages. Finally they broke back out into the open air of the Soldier's training yard and she couldn't help but inhale deeply through her nose. She kept on walking past the servant boys lighting the oil sconces as dusk crept in but addressed her protector.

"_Crixus, thank you for your assistance. I believe I'll be turning in for the night. You are free to do as you please for the rest of the evening."_

"_Gratitude, Domina. I will be with you on the morrow."_ He rasped and jogged away towards the small stations he had set him and Kristoff up for training, tossing away the melting piece of ice he had been sucking on. Apparently he still had a lot of nervous energy as well.

Anna sped up and took the Gaul's place, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to find her words. Elsa glanced at her but remained silent, knowing her sister would speak when she was able. She was surprised the Princess even wanted to be around her with the way she had acted and it brought her comfort to still have her by her side. The younger woman didn't speak until they had reached the corridor where Elsa's chambers were. She no longer stayed in the Royal suit after the unfortunate end to her marriage a few years prior, choosing instead to inhabit a different wing that looked out towards the mountains across the Fjord. The breeze wafting in through the open windows billowed her cloak out behind her, making her look an even more imposing figure than before. She made a face and unclasped the opal brooch at her throat, sighing in relief when the heavy fabric fell away from her slim shoulders. Elsa caught the cloak and draped it over her arm. Anna waved Kristoff away and he hung back at the end of the hall, realizing his wife needed to have a few words with her sister.

"So… That didn't seem to phase you." She ventured.

"It… was not the first time I've had to do that." Elsa admitted grimly, pulling her crown from her head and holding the heavy bit of pretty metal in her hand.

"Oh… Well, that sucks."

The Queen laughed wryly, "That's one way to say it."

"What are you going to do now? I mean, I really hope that spy wasn't saying what I thought he was saying…"

"Right now? I'm not going to think about it. After this day I've had, I _refuse_ to think about it. At least for the next few hours, I have some… other matters to attend to."

"Like what? Maybe I can help?" The Princess asked a little clueless.

"I… No, sorry Anna." The Queen turned her face away to hide the light blush on her cheekbones, hoping for a subject change. Boy did she get one.

"Oh! Then how about we just take a quick detour to how you and Mr. Manly Man were totally undressing each other with your eyes earlier?"

Elsa nearly stumbled and whipped around to face her smug sister, her face blooming a bright red. "You _saw_ that?!"

"_OH_ my god I could have _literally_ cut the sexual tension in that room with a knife. I _knew_ you were lying the other day when I told you I caught you looking at his butt."

"I… well it's kind of hard to not look at it when he wears those ridiculous little leather _panties_ all the time." She mumbled, her face burning even brighter when a raucous giggle burbled out of Anna.

"_I knew it._ You _like_ him. Or at least his butt."

"_Anna._"

"_Wait._ This _other_ business. Is it related to nearly eating his face earlier?!"

Elsa's only response was to avoid her sister's gaze deliberately pop open the high collar of her dress in an attempt to alleviate the slow burning heat. Anna could only roar with laughter and not even a huge slushy snowball to her face slowed her down. They were just to the door but Anna just _had_ to get one last jab in.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go get him? I bet he'd love to _give you a hand_-_AUGH._"

That time, a lump of snow the size of the Princess herself was dumped onto her. Kristoff jogged down the hall and reached his wife just as an extremely flustered Queen wrenched her door open. She spun to her brother in law and the man flinched behind the mini mountain of snow.

"You have _three_ minutes to leave this hallway." She hissed before disappearing into her suit, the door snapping shut behind her, spirals of frost creeping out from the brass door handle.

"Anna, what did you _do?_"

"I'll tell you later! Just get me out of here before we hear something we _really_ don't want to!" She giggled, her arms flailing comically. She squealed a little when the sound of shoes being kicked off filtered through the door. "Quick, Kristoff! _Quick quick quick!"_

The Mountain Man sighed and rolled his eyes, easily pulling the spastic red head out of her encasement. Just as he did so, the door banged open, revealing a rumpled and frustrated Elsa.

"WHY ARE YOU NOT GONE YET?!"

Anna shrieked and tore down the hall, leaving her confused husband in the dust. He sent one last look to his sister-in-law and jogged off, flinching when the door slammed shut behind him. He took a moment to woefully wonder what kind of insane family he had married into.

"No use in wondering now…"


	9. Chapter 9

**So that last chapter was a doozy. Man, it was so good it was REALLY hard to make this one even try to compare. Also, trying to figure out and think up Royal Titles is really hard and stupid. Bump that noise. So here, have some more fluff! Don't worry, next chapter is a little more serious.**

**This one's for you, charmiaj. I hope it'll tide you over until the oneshot for now…**

Summer Solstice

_It was dark, murky almost. Elsa's mind was slow and sluggish, registering burning kisses and bruising thrusts in a lethargic fog of lust. She dug her hands into the powerful back of the man working above her and in her, his sun-darkened skin almost obscene in contrast with her pale limbs that wrapped about his shoulders and hips. It felt so good, but she panic roiled in her belly, battling with the crushing arousal. The man pressed his forehead into the crook of her neck and whispered her name in an ancient tongue. With a jolt of shock, she realized it was the Gaul. A murmur of disappointed voices lanced through the fog and Elsa forced her heavy eyes open. Standing over the bed were the dark forms of her parents and her late husband, Adam. They were looking down their noses, faces blank of strong emotion and haughty. She couldn't understand what they were saying but the tones of their voices were clear in their intent. Guilt plummeted in Elsa's stomach and she tried to tell the Gaul to get off her but her voice refused to work._

_Why couldn't she say anything? This wasn't right. Why was this happening and why couldn't she make her body work the way she wanted? Shame burned through her chest when she tried to say something again and all that came out was a lusty moan. Tears stung at her eyes as her hips refused to obey her will. Helplessness overwhelmed her and the Gaul drove harder into her, pushing her over the edge with a cry of ecstasy and flooding her with scalding seed. The three figures disappeared into the black, but their presence still hung over them in scorn._

* * *

Elsa jolted awake in her bed gasping for breath. She had thrown most of her sheets off as she writhed from her dream, but the thinnest cotton cover was twisted about her legs. A thin sheen of sticky sweat tingled on her heated skin as the breeze from the cracked window swept over her. It had been _that_ dream again… The disconcerting visualization had been plaguing her a few times a week for the last two months since the torture in the dungeon. It made her cranky and snappish during the day since she couldn't get a full night's rest and kept waking up with her body twisted and wound into a guiltily aroused state. It also didn't help that after the awkwardly charged moment between her and the Gaul they had fallen back on formalities and polite small talk. They still spoke about their lives to the other, but the physical contact was gone and they held each other at an emotional arm length. It was depressing and lonely, to be completely honest. Elsa groaned in frustration at the tight coil low in her abdomen and scrubbed at her frowning face, trying to ignore the slick heat between her thighs.

"_Fuck._"

* * *

Arendelle was abuzz in a flurry of activity as final preparations for the annual Summer Solstice ball were being wrapped up. It was one of the few times where the entire city was invited within the gates to congregate in the main courtyard while the upper echelons of society partied the night away in the grand ballroom. Royals, Lords, and Ladies had arrived from Kingdoms near and far with their Knights and Champions for the following festivities and tournaments held in the following days after that night's celebration. The Queen of Arendelle had been nearly running herself ragged trying to have a hand in all of the tasks while juggling her normal duties _as well_ as her training sessions with Crixus. Three days prior she had nearly collapsed from exhaustion at the end of the day and Anna had forbidden her from doing anything other than the required minimum for her regular duties. Her protector had also refused to train her until after all the visitors had left, stating that she should be free to always receive her guests. Elsa had reluctantly agreed, already missing the release of stress and endorphins that came with the exercising and routine. Currently, she was finishing up last minute business in her study, the late afternoon speeding by into evening as her chamber maids insisting she stop working and start getting ready for the ball in just barely an hour.

"Alright! Alright, fine! I'm going…" She grumbled, standing up while hastily signing and stamping one last document with her seal. She took thirty seconds more to shuffle her desk into some semblance of order before allowing herself to be ushered from the dim room.

The Queen quickly made her way to her chambers and waved off her maids, telling them she could get herself ready. The older women tittered in disapproval but let her do as she pleased, you couldn't really argue with a monarch. Elsa stripped out of her day clothing and made quick work of a bath, towel drying her long platinum locks as best she could. It would dry quickly in the mild summer heat anyways. She had just slipped on her undergarments when Anna banged on the door and shouted that she was coming in whether Elsa liked it or not. The Princess barged into the Queen's chambers and thundered into the water closet, screeching to halt.

"_You still aren't ready?!"_ She screeched, spinning on the spot and seizing Elsa's hairbrush.

"Calm down, I just need to fix my hair and make up. I'm making my own gown tonight."

"Oh. Hey… what the hell are you wearing?"

Elsa looked down, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Underwear?"

"That's like, not even underwear." Her sister raised her eyebrows with a sassy attitude she had been nurturing.

"What? They aren't as hot as those damn bloomers and stockings we usually wear." She looked up from her dark cotton panties and chest wrap, garments she had adopted to make her training with the Gaul easier.

"Look, I know this attire isn't socially acceptable and technically I shouldn't be wearing it at all… But it's just me tonight. I'm the Queen, I can dress for comfort." She argued, plucking the brush from her skeptical sister's hands and attacking the knots in her long hair.

"_Oookay_, whatever you say. Also, when the hell did you get in such good shape?"

"What do you mean? I was never fat…" Elsa shook her hair out and began braiding it back into her signature hairstyle.

"I mean, you aren't all flat and smooth anymore, you have a little muscle now." She pointed at the blonde's toned stomach, tempted to poke it.

"I… wait. Oh…" The Queen paused and took a moment to look at her middle in the floor length mirror. "I knew I felt better and looked a little better but…" She twisted and turned, admiring the way smooth muscle moved under the skin of her stomach and thighs.

"Battle Queen." Anna smirked.

Elsa shot her sister a glare and fell upon her makeup, making short work of it before twisting on the spot. Ice and snow flurried around her slender form and coalesced into a gorgeous shimmering gown of crystal blues. The only differences between the gown she wore now and the one she first formed high up on her Ice Palace was that it was sleeveless and the gauzy train had been omitted. The length of the skirt had also been shortened to just barely brush the ground around her icy heels though the scandalous slit still revealed a long lean leg to halfway up her thigh. Anna applauded cheekily and watched her sister squirt a single spritz of her favorite lavender perfume onto a wrist and touch it to the other and then just behind her ears.

"Okay, almost ready. By the way, that dress is gorgeous."

"Why thank you, dear sister. I thought you'd never notice."

The Princess twirled in her strapless green and gold ball gown, batting her eyes goofily before scrambling to catch her now-lopsided tiara. The Queen chuckled and ushered the other woman out into the bedchamber and strode over to her bureau. Delicate dangling earrings of gold and silver and tiny diamonds were hooked through the double piercings in her lobes and the glittering silvery crown was tucked into its rightful perch. Elsa spun and threw her arms out to her sides, unable to contain an amused smirk.

"Well? How do I look?"

"Super hot, I wish I was wearing it because this thing I have on is so _heavy_. Now come on, we can't be late to our own party!" The Princess chirped and bounded to the large painted door.

The Queen could only laugh again and follow the excited Princess at a more sedate pace, letting her lead her out of her chambers and down the corridor. As they approached the ballroom the murmur of voices and laughter and music grew louder, fueling Anna's energy and Elsa's nervousness. It was an unfounded nervousness but the lingering memories of the Coronation Ball still haunted her. Finally the sisters reached their destination, and just outside the double doors they would enter through Kristoff waited for them. He was sharply dressed in a beautiful navy blue jacket and cream trousers. Dark brown leather boots polished to a high shine reached his knees, making him look taller than usual. A gold sash stretched across his broad chest decorated with his Ice Deliverer medallion and an elaborately pinned medal on his left breast to denote his rank. Golden buttons and epaulettes shimmered in the warm oil lamplight while white gloves encased his huge hands. To top off his well-put together image, the Mountain Man had gotten a haircut and attempted to style it. Rather poorly if Elsa had a say… Thankfully her sister took care of that mess.

"Oh my god your _hair_." Anna giggled and gestured for him to bend down.

"Whaaat? Oh-no, _Anna_…" He complained as she ruffled it out of its slicked back style and into a more Kristoff-esque look.

"Look, I know you wanna look good, but you shouldn't make your head look like you dumped a pot of grease on it." She chided, kissing his cheek before letting him escape her wrath.

He could only roll his eyes and offer her his arm. Anna look it and soon they were striding through the open doors, Kai's announcement loud and clear over the din.

"Introducing Her Royal Highness, Princess Anna of Arendelle! Accompanied by His Royal Highness, Duke Kristoff Bjorgman of Arendelle, Imperial Ice Master and Deliverer."

Polite applause greeted the couple and they were immediately engulfed into the crowd of bright gowns and clean-cut suits. Kai stepped back through the door a moment later and smiled warmly at the blank-faced Queen.

"Your majesty?"

"What? Oh, sorry. I'm ready." She inhaled deeply and squared her shoulders, wiping away the traces of insecurity from her expression and settling into the well-practice serenity of the personality she wore in Court. Kai smiled kindly again and resumed his post. He cleared his throat and the people closest to the doorway paused.

"Introducing Her Royal Highness, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

The ballroom simultaneously hushed and burst into welcoming applause as the shimmering icy form of the young ruler strode steadily into the limelight. Her measured steps brought her to the center of attention and she took a moment to raise her hand and wait for the last spattering of applause to die out.

"Welcome to Arendelle! I'm so glad to see so many of you here in attendance. Please, enjoy yourselves tonight because the next few days will be full of activity!"

Cheers and calls of '_here here!_' echoed about the room and the music started back up again, much to the Queen's relief. She wasn't one for public speaking. The monarch barely had a moment before Lords and Ladies approached her, fawning over the extravagant decorations and decadent foods courtesy of Arendelle's hospitality. Elsa easily picked out who was truly happy to be there and geared her attitude more warmly towards them. Sure, her mother would have told her to treat everyone the same… But she saw no point in wasting energy on people who didn't care to be in attendance. So around she went for nearly an hour and a half greeting guests and welcomed them into her home. The Queen finally made it back to her seat with a sigh relief and was about to sit when her gaze fell upon a grouchy Crixus. He was dressed splendidly in gleaming new armor, the cuirass beautifully etched in twisting patterns of icy geometric snowflakes and vines. The design bloomed out across his triple-scaled pauldrons and the dark olive green he favored was used as a cushioned liner under the heavy steel. Matching bracers were also decorated accordingly but the vines twisted into the Crocus of Arendelle on the outside of his muscular forearms. His biceps were bare but clean, the light highlighting the curved planes of hard muscle. About his waist a new and elaborately tooled belt was tightly cinched to hold his Damascus gladius on his left hip. The Gaul had polished and cleaned his leather boots but new matching grieves climbed up and protected his knees. The biggest difference was the pair of tight, form fitting trousers in the same green as the armor lining. Elsa _did_ have to admit to herself that he filled the clothing out _very_ well. The Queen couldn't help the cheeky smirk that pulled at her lips and approached him.

"How are those pants treating you?"

He only glared and discreetly tugged at the seat of his trousers. Elsa hid a laugh behind her hand and tried not to laugh harder when his scowl deepened.

"_Oh come now, you just have to wear them for a few more hours."_ She chided him gently in Latin.

"_I do not like them. They feel like a hindrance. A warrior should not be so tightly bound."_

"_You aren't even wearing a shirt. Be glad I didn't require that."_

"_Much gratitude for your kindness, but… they bind me."_

It took Elsa a moment to register exactly what he meant but when it did she had to fight not to blush too hard. She paused and looked anywhere but him, trying _really_ hard not to think about the context he was talking in with hundreds of people in the room.

_"I let you prance about in barely anything every day, just humor me tonight and suffer the dreaded pantaloons." _She quipped and abruptly took a seat.

"_Yes, Domina."_ He grumbled, clasping his arms behind his back and taking his post diagonally behind her seat.

Elsa grimaced slightly to herself and gratefully accepted the flute of Champaign presented to her, forcing herself to sip and not guzzle it down. Without warning, her mind wandered back to the week prior when she had insisted on the Seamstress outfitting the Gaul…

* * *

_The Royal Seamstress burst out of the chamber she had been in, the elderly woman huffing up a storm and rudely interrupted Elsa from her book. She could hear Crixus complaining loudly in Latin about pants and other 'barbaric clothing' just before the door slammed shut._

"_Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but your bodyguard is the most annoying handful I've ever dealt with."_

"_Why? What's going on?"_

"_He won't let me finish his measurements! It's about to drive me up the wall! I've been trying for a quarter of an hour now!"_

"_OH for heaven's sake, give me that." The blonde dropped her book on the little table next to her chair and held her hand out for the tape measure as she stood up._

"_Your Majesty, I don't think that is a wise decision…"_

"_I don't think so either but I know you have a busy schedule, as do I." She wiggled her fingers and arched a brow._

_The Royal Seamstress sighed heavily and relinquished the tape. "If you wouldn't mind recording the measurements, I left the sheet on the table next to the window."_

_The Queen nodded and slipped into the room, the latch of the door echoing louder in her ears than she would have liked. In the center of the small room the sulking Gaul had his back to the door and Elsa realized all too late that he was completely naked. The irate man heard the door open and shut and whirled around to fuss at whom he thought was the poor Seamstress._

"_I told you, you fucking hag, I don't want you ne-Domina!"_

_Elsa screeched to a halt and stared dumbly at his… rather large manhood. Not even a second later her hand not holding the tape measure slapped over her eyes and a vibrant blush raced across her face, neck, and shoulders. Had she still been looking, she would have seen the brief flash of panic on Crixus's face as he immediately covered himself with his hands._

"_Apologies, Domina! I-I thought you were that other woman." He stumbled over his words._

"_No, I-no." She waved the hand holding the tape at him, her other hand still covering her eyes._

"_Dom-"_

"_Stop." The sharp command made him close his mouth so quickly his teeth clicked. A very embarrassed Elsa inhaled deeply and removed her hand but kept her eyes closed. She took another breath before opening them and focusing in on his face._

"_I know you aren't happy, but you're holding everyone's day up. You will be quiet and let me finish this up so I can move on with more important business."_

_He nodded meekly at her firm tone and stayed rooted to his spot while she swept across the room to the innocent little table, its only occupants a sheet of parchment and graphite stick. There were only three slots empty-the measurement for the circumference high up on his thigh and low on his hips across his rear._

"_Lovely." She muttered darkly, and steeled herself. "Alright, let's get this over with."_

"_Yes, Domina." He mumbled._

_The Queen, subdued to her uncomfortable fate, turned and approached the brooding Gaul. With surprisingly steady hands she knocked his arms away from his body and reached around his waist, trying to ignore the way he smelled and the heat that radiated off of him. Elsa couldn't help but notice the jumping twitch of his abdominal muscles as she threaded the tape around his middle and adjusted it over the very center of his rear. She wished she didn't have to look, but it was best if she got correct measurements on the first try… so she did so as quickly as she could. When she pulled the tape around to find the number, her fingers pressed in on the warm skin of the outside of his hip. Elsa ignored his sharp inhale and grumble about cold fingers, marking the number with her thumb before she flicked the tape out and away from his body to prevent any other discomfort. The still blushing blonde stepped back to the table and quickly jotted the numeral down in the space provided before returning to her grumpy protector. She bent slightly and looped the tape around the man's knee, sliding it up his thigh. He grumbled quietly and let her tighten it to get the information she needed. It was over quickly and Elsa repeated the process with his other thigh, getting two more eyefuls of him without meaning to._

"_Alright." She straightened abruptly and wrote in the last two measurements, gathering up the tape and parchment and graphite stick._

"_I'll summon you if you're needed." She told him in a rushed manner, refusing to look at him._

"_Yes, Domina."_

_And just like that, Elsa was flying out of the room with her black skirts frantically rustling around her legs. She wrenched the door open and slipped through, pulling it shut quickly so she could prop herself up. The Seamstress looked up from her hands and raised her eyebrows at the extremely flustered Queen. The blonde inhaled deeply through her nose and pushed unsteadily off the door, thrusting the woman's measurement sheet and tape into her hands. She scooped up her book and took maybe two steps before spinning abruptly on her heel. She was lost for words for a brief moment before holding a finger up._

"_Not. A. Word."_

"_Of course, your Majesty." The Seamstress agreed, a knowing smile quirking the corners of her mouth up._

_Elsa almost swore her to secrecy but realized that would just be silly. So she nodded curtly and escaped before the Gaul emerged from the chamber._

* * *

…and Elsa realized that the flute was empty.

"Oops."

"Domina?" Crixus stepped up to her side.

"Ah-_nothing._" She waved him off just as a server replaced her glass.

The Gaul frowned slightly and returned to his post, ignoring the curious looks he was receiving from nearby guests. Not even a second later, Anna bounded up to the seated Queen. She curtsied, an excited grin on her face.

"Your Majesty, I would like to have the honor of teaching Crixus to dance."

Elsa nearly snorted into her drink but pulled it away just in time. "I'd love to see that."

"Great! Come on, muscle man! It's time to dance!"

Anna grabbed the confused Gaul's arm and literally pulled him away from his post. The Queen _almost_ felt bad for him when he shot her a pleading look, but was pulled away by approaching guests. When he realized his Domina wasn't going to help him, Crixus let himself be pulled out into the fray right into the very center of the dance floor. Anna stopped and spun to face him fully with a mischievous grin lighting up her face.

"Okay Crixus! I'm gonna teach you how to ballroom dance!"

"Ball room dance…?"

"Wait, seriously?" When her only response was a confused shake of the head she nodded at him in understanding and reassurance. "Okay, here… put this hand here on my waist," She pulled his left hand onto her side and rested her right hand on his bicep. "…and cradle my left hand up here."

Crixus let her manipulate him into a strong dance frame and listened intently while she explained a simple box step. If his Domina was content to let him suffer this lesson, then he'll just have to learn well enough so he could impress her. The Gaul was not a man to half-heartedly complete any task, even this very stiff form of dancing he was not used to. It was very different from the sensual and erotic writhing the performance slaves used to do. Little did he know the crystal blue eyes of the Queen were checking up on him every other song, pleased when he went from stumbling to mechanical to finding his natural rhythm. This went on for close to an hour or so while Elsa visited with guests, finally getting wrapped up in a long conversation with the Princess and her Prince Consort from Cornona. The Monarch and the bubbly brunette had been swapping stories about talking snowmen and magical healing hair when a fast paced waltz started up.

"Rapunzel, let's go dance!" The Prince Consort asked, bouncing in his seat. The normally suave and 'too cool for you' man couldn't resist the pull of the music.

"Not now Eugene, I think I've had enough dancing tonight."

"Awww come ooon…" He pouted for a moment before immediately perking up. "How about you, Queen Elsa? May I have this dance?"

"I… well I suppose so." She relented; noticing the pleading look the Princess was giving her.

"_Great._ This is gonna be so _sweet_." He gushed and hopped to his feet.

The Queen wisely put down her nearly full glass instead of gulping it down like she wanted and let the overly enthusiastic man pull her to her out onto the full dance floor of whirling skirts and flashing polished boots. Eugene, or _Flynn_ as he insisted upon being called every once in a while, spun them out easily into the flow of the quick waltz. Around and around they went; Elsa's smile growing larger by the minute. She had forgotten how _fun_ it could be to just prance about the room with dozens of others having just as much of a good time as she was-if not more. Off to the side, Anna was now teaching the serious Gaul the basic waltz but at a much slower pace. He was so focused on his footwork and not stepping on the Princess's toes that he didn't notice the Queen until a silvery flash of blues darted past. He glanced up and nearly stumbled when he spotted her. She was positively radiant and the happiness exuding off of her nearly blinded him. He didn't think he had ever seen her smile like that before… It was incredible.

"Hey! Eyes front, Soldier! That's my sister you're oogling."

Anna bumped him with her shoulder to catch the gawking man's attention, biting back a snicker when he barely blushed. He grumbled that he wasn't and tried to blatantly ignore a giddy Elsa being twirled around the dance floor.

"Hey… It's okay if you do." Anna told him quietly.

"_Qui?"_

"It's okay if you like my sister."

"Like?" He glanced up at her curiously for just a second before his eye followed the flash of silver blur past them again.

"Y'know… Have romantic feelings for her…?"

Crixus gawped at her for just a moment before blustering into a Latin-filled rant about how that was preposterous and poor Anna only understood about a third of it before she stopped him.

"Crixus, it's okay if you do!"

"I… I should not feel that. Not that." He frowned, trying to figure out how to translate his reasoning.

"She likes you too, you idiot."

The Gaul only stared at her blankly and didn't hear the fast paced song end. Whistles and cheers for the orchestral group roared around them and died down just as quickly when the musicians started up a much slower piece. Anna rolled her eyes and steered Crixus back out into the gently swaying couples. Across the hall a breathless Elsa thanked Eugene for the dance, handing him back to his wife. She was just about to sit when Kristoff swooped in and spun her right around, leading her back out onto the dance floor.

"Huh-uh, your Majesty! My turn for a dance."

"Okay _fine_. One."

"Good, 'cause I wasn't gonna let you say no anyways." He chuckled and began to sedately lead her about the floor.

"Yeah well, I've had a few glasses and I'm in a forgiving mood." Elsa teased and let him spin her out and then back in.

"I've seen you out-drink some of the guards here in the castle, no way you're feeling two or three measly glasses of Champaign."

"That is not something I'm very proud of, Kristoff." She haughtily quirked an eyebrow at him in mock annoyance.

"Are you kidding me?! If we ever decide to do drinking games you are _so_ on my team. I love Anna but she can't hold her liquor."

"Oh my god you are such a frat boy."

"Just tellin' it how it is, my dear sister-in-law." He grinned.

Suddenly, Kristoff caught Anna's gaze and the two had an extremely brief and crafty conversation with just their eyes and wiggling brows. The couple danced on, Kristoff joking with Elsa while Anna coached Crixus until they had drifted right next to each other. With a very deft and smooth spin from both of them, Anna slipped out of Crixus's grasp and right into Kristoff's while the mountain man neatly spun Elsa into the Gaul's arms. They chuckled to themselves and swept away before the Queen and her protector had realized what had happened. When they had switched, the blonde had been spun just a little too hard and she careened into Crixus, who caught her with little difficulty despite the force she came at him with. Her hands grasped tightly at his bare biceps while his huge hands cradled her slim waist. The two were so surprised they couldn't do anything but awkwardly stare at each other for a moment. Finally the Queen cleared her throat to break the silence and took a small step back, and positioning her arms in dance frame. Elsa could feel the heat from his hands burning through the bodice of her dress and had to swallow and clear her throat again. It felt entirely too good to her touch-deprived body.

"_I saw Anna was teaching you, let me see what you've learned."_

"_Yes, Domina."_ He agreed, glad to finally have better control over the situation.

The Gaul straightened and gathered the monarch in his arms, his brow furrowing as he listened for the pulse of the slow piece. He nodded along for a measure and then they were off, slowly gliding around the dance floor. Elsa could feel the nervous energy thrumming through his body and it only made him feel jerky.

"_Relax, you're too stiff. You need to be able to lead your dance partner smoothly."_

Crixus nodded and took a deep breath, a noticeable drop of his shoulders eased them into a much more fluid step. She gave him a short word of praise and his confidence grew along with the wide loops they made across the hardwood floor. The music changed to a faster tempo unexpectedly and Crixus nearly stumbled but Elsa got him quickly back on count with a light laugh. Before long the Gaul and the monarch were swept up in their oddly private moment, their attention only on the other's grinning face. They hadn't been in such close contact for weeks and their bodies were unconsciously vying to draw closer yet. Emboldened by Elsa's smile, Crixus spun her out and back in, grinning madly at her surprised laugh. He was able to do that two more times before the piece ended and they slowed to a stop still in their dance frame. Elsa blushed when she realized they were entirely too close for proper etiquette when her chest brushed against his cuirass and took a measured step back. They reluctantly parted and slipped off the dance floor back towards the low dais that the Queen's chair was upon.

"_Thank you Domina. For the lesson."_ He told her quietly.

"_I didn't do much, you should be thanking Anna."_

"_She was a competent teacher. But, maybe it was just because this was the first time I've had… fun. In a very long time."_

Elsa took a seat with a sigh and asked for water before looking back at him with an understanding smile.

"_Me too."_

* * *

Hours later, Elsa was leaving the sparse ballroom to retire with Anna in her wake. Kristoff and Crixus were off talking to Prince Eugene and laughing about frying pans being manlier than they were originally thought to be

]', not hard pressed to turn in for the night just yet. As soon as they were halfway down the hall, both pairs of heels were off and dangling from fingers. The sisters were in high spirits, giggling about the shenanigans of a spiked punch bowl and the resulting drunk men and women that had proclaimed it to be the best they had ever tasted. Their conversation wandered to the outfits and beautiful gowns, to Anna telling her about how Kristoff had to get new trousers and complained for days.

"Speaking of trousers, Crixus looked pretty good tonight." Anna teased and winked while gently bumping her shoulder with Elsa's.

"You want to hear complaining, go listen to _him_ get measured for trousers. It was awful…" She rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Oh that's _right_, you said you were doing that recently… Everything fit very well, it's a wonder he didn't behead Martha…"

"Oh he almost did. I had to go in there and finish for her because he wouldn't listen to her. Stupid men and their pants…" The Queen grumbled, completely missing the sly grin creeping across Anna's face.

"Pants, huh?" She prompted nonchalantly.

"He was all up in arms about hip and thigh measurements. It was so stupid."

Elsa ground to a halt when she realized what she had just implied, slowly turning her head in dread to an overly thrilled and practically vibrating Anna.

"_Oh my GOD,_ no Anna, NO-"

A quiet high-pitched squeal nearly shattered her eardrums and she squeezed her eyes shut as a full-blown body blush turned her pink.

"_OH MY GOD YOU'VE SEEN HIM NAKED."_

The Queen cringed visibly and covered her eyes with her free hand, dropping her head and slowly shuffling down the hall again when her mind rudely recalled that day for the second time that night. Anna burst into uncontrollable laughter and had to use the wall to help her stay upright and still go after a mortified Elsa.

"No wait! _Wait_, come back! I have _really_ important questions to ask you! ELSA! _HOW BIG WAS HE?!"_


	10. Chapter 10

**Saturdays and Sundays are just all sorts of jittery excitement for me because I'm about to post the next chapter for you guys. My weekends have gotten infinitely better since I started doing this whole weekly update deal. :D**

**So that was some fun fluff… Here's a bit more with some 'action', I use that term loosely, and some more Elsa and Crixus. Back to the grind in the next chapter though!**

**Thank you so much for your continued support of this story. To have even a few of you excited to read this every week really gives me the confidence to continue and drives my own excitement to write it not just for me but for you.**

Free

The crowd roared madly as the clash of broad swords rang out around the small wooden stadium. The mid-morning summer sun beat down on the heavily armored knights struggling for the upper hand in the arena for the honor and entertainment of their kingdom. Boos and cheers rang out when the unicorn-crested, burly knight for Corona bested his opponent and the match ended. Queen Elsa rose from her seat and the crowd fell into a murmured clamor. The black and gold-trimmed bodice of her dress glittered in the bright sunlight, casting pretty little fractals of golden light out around her as she moved. Her platinum blonde hair was twisted back into an elaborate plait on the back of her head and her crown sparkled brilliantly. The muted slate blue of her scoop-necked gown contrasted nicely with her fair skin.

"Well done, Sir Vladimir. We look forward to your next bout. The match between Arendelle and Seaward will begin in a quarter of an hour."

Squires rushed out onto the sandy dirt to their respected Knights and Elsa turned away back to her seat. Anna was leaning over the arm of her chair and across Kristoff so they could both talk to Crixus. He was stationed in his usual spot behind the Queen's seat and was telling them about one of his early gladiator battles. Elsa took a moment to relax and leant back to rest her bent elbows on the high railing while crossing her right ankle over her left, taking the time to smile and watch her family listen intently to the Gaul's tale. Anna was dressed down in her green-gold and cream _bunad_ and her vibrant strawberry hair was tamed into her two braids. An amused Kristoff wore a light gray cotton tunic that stretched across his broad chest and brown trousers. Her eyes flickered to the bronzed man for the upteenth time that day and still couldn't get over how well the armors from their separate time periods meshed. He was wearing his new gear from the night before, the cuirass and bracers and gauntlets, but had foregone the trousers for his usual leather and steel _subligar_. A new addition was the heavy belt of _balteas_ that hung from his waist and reached down to the tops of his knees. His sword was firmly strapped to his hip and Elsa couldn't help but admire how strikingly imposing he looked. The Gaul was healthy and happy, the safe environment of the keep easing his stress and providing the needs to get back into condition.

"-and then I cut the back of his knee and took his head as he fell."

"Whaaaat! No way it's that easy, you can barely cut a carrot." Kristoff teased.

Elsa smiled softly at their banter and tilted her head back and letting her eyes slip closed. The warmth of the sun on her face, column of her neck, and chest felt so good after being inside for most of the year. She couldn't help but sigh when the soft breeze ruffled her bangs off of her face. A couple minutes passed and she listened to the sounds of conversation and the bustle of spectators around her, enjoying the smells of clean air and sea and oiled leather and steel. A moment later Elsa could feel somebody watching her. She tilted her head back down and opened her eyes, looking directly into the dark brown of Crixus's. A small smile quirked the corners of his mouth up and Elsa arched a brow in question, curious about the look he was giving her. The Gaul hooked his thumbs into the front of his belt and practically sauntered over, stepping up to her left and watching the Keep's stable boys run around the arena in preparation for the next match.

"_What is it?"_ She asked quietly.

"_Apologies, Domina. I did not mean to stare but I have never seen you so at ease."_

"_Well since you forced me out of training the past few days I've had time to rest."_

Crixus was about to apologize again when he caught the teasing smirk she was biting back. He flashed her a toothy grin and his low, mellow raspy laughter sent butterflies spilling out of her stomach. They stood in an easy silence for another few minutes as they waited for the brief intermission between bouts to end. Maybe a moment later the Gaul shifted and copied the Queen's relaxed posture, the tiny steel plates on his _balteas_ clinking together softly as they jostled against his thighs.

"_Domina, when this tournament of sport is over, I would have words with your medicus."_

"_What for? Are you not well?"_

"_No, I am quite well. But… there is a mark upon my arm I wish to see removed."_

Elsa turned her head to look at his downcast face, noticing the dark clouds of shame swirling in his expression that struggled to stay neutral.

"_Your brand."_

"_Yes."_

Elsa watched him a moment longer, realizing that the seemingly bland scar tissue of a '_B_' brought this man a lot of pain. To see him hurting made _her_ hurt, and when she hurt the kingdom hurt. She had to stop a moment and comprehend that chain of thought when she realized how deeply affected she was by this person.

"_The surgeon should be free this evening, I'll send him a summons during the midday break to come after the evening meal."_

Crixus's head shot up and he completely turned to face her, blatant hope and relief bleeding heavily into his face. "_You would do this for me? Truly?"_

The Queen was floored by the humbleness of his response and struggled to find the right words. When she finally did, she knew something had changed between them.

"_Truly. Crixus, you are my close friend. I care for you and your well being."_

The tender moment was broken when the layman called out for the next to champions to enter the stadium. Elsa sighed and straightened up to announce the next contestants. The shining tall form of Aster strode proudly into the arena to the delighted cheers of the spectators and raised his hand in thanks. From the opposite gate an equally tall and shining form of a Knight from the small kingdom of Seaward sauntered into the arena. His cocky swagger made Elsa easily dislike him already. The two competitors met in the center of the arena and shook hands, speaking polite words of luck to the other. Aster donned his crested helm and drew his blade as he walked a decent distance away, but the young Knight from Seaward stayed standing. His dark eyes were zeroed in on the Gaul and it looked like he wasn't keen on starting the battle anytime soon. The Queen stepped forward, an odd feeling of nervousness and dislike forming heavily in her stomach.

"Is there a problem, Sir?" She called coolly.

"Well…" He paused and flipped his bangs out of his eyes, an arrogant habit that rankled the blonde's nervous.

"Then if you have nothing of note to say, let the match start."

"Hold on just a moment, …you Majesty." Elsa narrowed her eyes at the lately tacked on title. "I mean no disrespect toward Arendelle but I feel as if your Knight won't put on too much of a show."

Disapproving murmurs rippled across the crowd and the Queen darted over to the rapidly rising form of the dignitary from Seaward. The thin mousy man was enraged and humiliated, something that Elsa appreciated. His reaction spoke volumes and she quickly decided that even if this Knight brought shame to his crown, she would not hold it against them. The man looked to her, an apology on his lips but he saw her looking and kept his mouth shut. He understood and nodded in raw gratitude. Elsa sighed and folded her hands in front of her, turning her attention back to the disinterested looking young knight below her.

"Sir Aster is a well accomplished fighter and one of the best I've ever known. You should be honored to fight against him."

"I'm more interested in fighting your Gladiator. Or is he just something pretty for you to look at."

Angry roars echoed loudly around the stadium at the gall of this arrogant and disrespectful Knight. Crixus stepped up to her elbow and could tell she was upset when ugly frost crawled up her sleeves and the muscles in her jaw clenched tightly. The infuriated forms of Anna and Kristoff wordlessly joined them at the railing and the combined look of the three incensed royals made the Knight wilt when he realized he might have stepped over the line. He swallowed hard when the icy flash of the Queen's blue eyes zeroed in on him and he entertained the thought of turning and running had the vibrating form of Aster not been blocking his path. But his arrogance in his skill must have been great for he remained in his nonchalant pose.

"_Forgive me, Domina, but I am still learning your language."_

"_This little… brat… believes you aren't a competent fighter and I only have you around for my… pleasure."_ She sneered, the sharpness of the insult setting the both of them on edge.

"_He insults you and Arendelle! He insults my sword! I'll fucking gut him and shove his own cock in ass!"_ He roared, fury radiating off him in waves.

"_Crixus._" The single utterance of his name brought him back to his bearings.

"_Domina?"_ He growled, eyes still locked on the man below.

"_Crixus,"_ The Gaul looked at the Queen and his pride welled up when he saw her staring up at him with a look that screamed for vengeance. "_Show him what it means to be a true warrior."_

"_With the greatest pleasure, Domina."_ He rumbled and a sinister grin nearly split his face.

As Crixus strode away Elsa turned back to the men in the arena and called over the loud boos and jeers of the crowd. She suppressed a smirk when a half eaten apple was hurled into the arena and barely missed the snooty Knight.

"Sir Aster, forgive me but it seems that Crixus would like to take your place."

The tall champion of Arendelle saluted proudly and strode from the ring, but not before he whispered something scathing to the now nervous young Knight. The older man was a bit miffed, but he understood why the Queen asked him to step aside. There had been many tasteless rumors running amok as to _why_ she had taken on such an interesting character for a personal guard and this was the perfect opportunity to show them. The Gaul was a ferocious and well-trained fighter, one that Aster had the pleasure of sparring with on multiple occasions. It would truly be a treat to see him in action again. Aster clanked up the steps to the spectator's box where the Queen and the Prince and Princess were still standing at the railing. He couldn't help but realize how much like their mother the girls looked in that very moment, having seen the deceased Queen upset on a few brief occasions years ago.

"Aster, thank you for being a good sport." Elsa thanked him as he came to a stop next to her rigid figure.

"His behavior was unacceptable, Queen Elsa. It is only fitting for the man you defend his and your honor. That boy is going to have his ass handed to him, if you'd pardon my language."

"Oh I hope he will."

Not even a second later, a hush fell on the crowd as the Gaul emerged from the gate Aster had used. His cuirass shone brightly in the bright sun and the steel of his sword flashed in his hand. Crixus had removed his scabbard for better mobility and the _balteas_ jangled together with ever step he took. A steel plate-scaled sleeve had been slipped onto his right arm, strapping on over his bracer and shoulder pauldrons. On his left forearm a large rectangular _scutum_ shield of painted wood backed by steel and decorated with the crest of Arendelle was held at his side, reaching from the top of his shoulder to just at his knee. The black mohawked crest of horsehair of a modified _cassis crista_ Gladiator helm billowed out dramatically in the breeze and the slim face guard that encased his features glinted sinisterly. The sharp metal brim around the crested crown of the helmet cast sharp shadows and hid the slit for his eyes. When the Gaul had requested the helm, he worked with the blacksmith to create a superior hybrid of the two styles of helm. Crixus came to a halt about five feet from the surprised Knight and stared at the man for a moment, power exuding from his intimidating form. When a long moment had passed, the Gaul turned to the royal's spectator box and clapped his fist hold the sword over his heart in an honored salute and paced away from his opponent about ten more feet. The snooty Knight rolled his eyes in an obvious display that he didn't take his opponent seriously and donned his helm. He bowed slightly to the Queen in another show of disrespect and drew his blade, waiting for the command to start. Elsa cleared her throat and waited just a moment longer, enjoying the tense atmosphere of the impending bout.

"Begin."

The crowd roared as the young Knight charged the on-guard Gaul, the older warrior waiting patiently for the upstart to reach him. When the Seaward Knight was close enough Crixus crouched and sprung forward, using his broad shield as a battering ram. Laughter pealed out as the Knight practically bounced and flew off of the Gaul's shield with a loud clang. The man scrambled to his feet and charged again-only to be smashed back and kicked in the chest by a heavily booted foot. The Gladiator bellowed wordlessly and knocked his sword and shield together as the energy in the stadium grew. The cocky Knight whirled to his feet again, black dirt kicking up in clumps and falling out of the creases of his armor. The men clashed in a flurry of swinging blades and bashing shields, parrying and exchanging blows in a fast paced dance that promised pain to the first to slip. Crixus's blade bit into the weak coverage of the Seaward Knight's knee and drew first blood. The wounded man staggered back with a cry of pain and rage for just a brief second and then charged again like a wild animal, attempting to overwhelm the larger Gaul with a barrage of heavy hammering blows. One of the strikes caught the top of Crixus's _scutum_ and the tip of the Knight's one-handed broadsword cutting shallowly into the middle of his left bicep. The Gaul sprang away into a backwards roll before popping to his feet and back pedaled while inspecting his bleeding wound. Rage coursed hotly through his veins and he met the younger Knight's charge, knocking both shield and sword away with his own. He drove forward and viciously head butted the other man, his snarling roar echoing over the cries of the spectators. Flashes of churning bloody sand and the stink of the ancient arena darted across his vision as his opponent fell back to his knees in a daze. Fury overtook him and he threw down his shield and stalked towards the younger man struggling to get to his feet.

"_YOU INSULTED MY DOMINA!"_

His Latin bellow of rage was immediately followed with a sharp kick to the chin and the Knight from Seaward was laid out flat on his back.

"_YOU SPAT ON HER HONOR!"_

Another kick to the face sent the man rolling away from the enraged Gaul and he scrambled away in a stupor, abandoning his shield in the process. Crixus stalked after him spitting insults and chasing the cowardly man around the small arena in an almost humorous game of cat and mouse. Up in the stands Anna, Kristoff, Elsa, and Aster were watching the spectacle below with grim satisfaction.

"Hey Elsa, remind me not to get on your bad side." Kristoff told her as he winced from watching the Gaul kick the Knight firmly in the rear. "I think he'd castrate me if I ever 'spat on your honor'. Not that I would!"

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that, he likes you."

"My comment still stands." He winced again when the Gaul kneed his opponent roughly in the side.

Elsa patted her brother gently on the shoulder without taking her eyes off of the sorely mismatched battle beneath them. The pull of her attraction towards the Gaul was present but it wasn't nearly as overwhelming as it was that day of the torture. It still tugged at the back of her mind in a nagging and incessant manner that plagued her dreams and made her sneak looks at him. She didn't want to admit it, but Elsa had fallen very hard for this man. Not only was there the physical attraction; but also she enjoyed his company. He was willing to learn and he challenged her with his logic and theories from another time period. It was always refreshing to talk to him and she enjoyed answering his random questions about little mundane objects that she took for granted. But right now, it was apparent that the more base and animal part of her attraction was beginning to rear its head. Elsa had been working on accepting this feeling, struggling to come to terms with the fact that Adam had been dead for two and a half going on three years now. He would have wanted her to move on to be happy. She would have hoped the same for him if it had been her attacked on the docks that day. Another roared and particularly creative insult from the Gaul brought her back to the fight.

"I think this match is about over." She muttered, leaning her elbows on the railing.

True enough, Crixus hammered down hard on the younger man's sword and knocked it from his grasp. He booted the man in the head again and the battered helm of the Seaward Knight flew off and skittered across the black dirt. The Gaul reached down with his free hand and seized the back of the man's cuirass at the base of his neck. The beaten Knight was hauled to his knees and Crixus took a large handful of his matted and sweaty brown hair, pulling his head back painfully and holding his sword to the convulsing throat. The crowd roared in deafening jubilation, pleased with the spectacle that the former Gladiator had put on for them. The victorious Gaul raised his helmed head to the spectator's box and waited for the Queen. Elsa smiled in smug satisfaction and raised her voice;

"Winner, Crixus!"

Elsa didn't think the crowd could get any louder but they immediately proved her wrong. Crixus released the beaten man and tore his crested helm off, holding it and his sword aloft in victory. He roared an '_ARENDELLE!'_ and saluted the Queen on her perch before collecting his _scutum_ and striding from the cheering stadium. The Queen turned from the scene of squires rushing out onto the arena and retook her seat. Anna and Kristoff remained at the railing and watched them haul the humiliated Knight away, shaking their heads and _tsking_ when he began to cry about an unfair advantage. A moment later the proud Gaul mounted the steps still holding his gear, perspiration streaking the black dirt on his skin. He took a second to set his shield and helm at the back of their booth and strapped his sword back onto his waist. Elsa got up and approached him as he finished and started on the scaled armor of his sword arm.

"You fought very well. Thank you."

"The whelp was no challenge but he got his lesson. He insulted you, Domina. It was my honor. Gratitude, for the opportunity."

"Never the less, I appreciate what you did. And I think I learned a few new insults."

"Those… were not meant for your ears. They are too crass." He blushed and suppressed a laugh.

"Why not? I think I'd like to call someone a 'cuntflapping douchecanoe' in the near future."

"Whoooohohooaaa potty mouth!" Anna snickered and sidled up to them. Kristoff paused and a funny look passed over his face, a chuckling Aster behind him.

"All I can think of is vaginas flying in the sky like birds…" He trailed off and the group burst into raucous laughter.

"This is entirely too inappropriate…" Elsa hid her laugh behind her hand let her sister lean on her.

"Totally worth it. By the way, nice job kicking that guy's butt, Crix." Anna bumped her fist lightly on his arm. "Oh, you're bleeding!"

"A scratch." He brushed her concern off, finally removing the scaled steel sleeve from his other arm.

"You should get that cleaned." The Queen reprimanded him lightly, watching Kristoff and Aster greet the embarrassed dignitary from Seaward. She would meet him in a moment, but right now she was more concerned about the cut on her protector's arm.

"I have sustained worse injuries." He reassured her and touched where the puckered scar on his belly was.

The blonde frowned in exasperation and pulled her clean white handkerchief from her pocket and asked Anna to go get a small cup of water. The Princess did so quickly and the Queen took it, wetting the thin cloth in it. She wiped just around the cut once and immediately the Gaul grumbled and pulled away. Elsa frowned at his masculine pride and held the damp cloth out until the grumpy man took it from her. The blonde rolled her eyes in exasperation and steered her and her sister away from him and back to their seats.

"_Domina!"_ He called and caught her attention. She turned back with a brow raised.

"_I know the may be overstepping but… The brand… Would… would you stay? I can think of no better honor to have you present when it is removed."_ The Gaul asked tentatively, clutching the bloodied handkerchief to his shallow wound.

"_I-of course. I will gladly stay by your side."_

"_Much gratitude, Domina."_ He grinned brightly and set about his task to take care of his cut, giving the sisters a chance to continue on back to their seats.

"You _so_ have him wrapped around your little finger. Also, later this week we're gonna have another talk about him and you can't get out of it. Your wellbeing is at stake."

"If you say so…" Elsa conceded with a sigh, not wanting to fight the red head on that matter. They still had a whole afternoon to get through and it wouldn't be worth the constant nagging. She shook her head and went over to the waiting dignitary, a calming smile tugging at her lips.

"Hello, Mr. Finnegan…"

* * *

Elsa finally put her quill down and rose from her chair in her study. It was just an hour after the evening meal and Crixus was waiting patiently for by the hearth, a simple schooling book in his massive hands. Since he had tackled learning their language he had admitted to Elsa in private that he couldn't read. She had immediately sat him down and pulled out her old tutoring books, starting him on the alphabet that very second. Every day after that they had sessions where she would teach him how to read and branch out into any other subject that caught his fancy. The Gaul was a fast learner and had quickly blown through most of the Queen's old schooling books, moving on to easier low-level reads and steadily working through those. If he wasn't training or by her side, the man was reading any books he could get his hands on. Crixus looked up from his sprawled position on the carpet and stuck his bookmark in place. He had dressed back down to just his leather subligar after a bath, the warm night affording him the luxury of remaining barefoot.

"Alright. Ready?" She asked, rounding her desk. She was still dressed in her slate gray summer dress with the black and gold bodice but her crown had been carefully put away and her long platinum hair let down into her relaxed heavy braid.

"Yes, Domina." He grunted as he rolled to his feet. His bronze skin was a deep burnished gold in the low light, offset only by the stark white bandage that was wrapped around his left bicep.

Elsa nodded and led him from the room. She got maybe ten feet down the hallway when she noticed he was walking slightly behind her. The Queen knew it was out of respect but she felt funny with him not right next to her. She gestured at him to speed up and he did so after a brief hesitation.

"_Crixus, it's just us. I may be a Queen but walking right next to me is acceptable and won't get you into trouble."_

"_I… gratitude, Domina_."

"_It also makes me feel odd."_

"_Yes, Domina."_ He chuckled and clasped his hands behind his back.

"_How are you feeling? And your arm?_" Elsa asked as the turned the corner, slipping her hands into the pockets of her skirt.

"_Very well. It barely aches but it will not hinder me."_

"_Good, I am glad to hear that. I-"_

The two pulled up short when they looked up and saw Anna stalking towards an amused Kristoff at the opposite end of the hall, the two of them heading for the door to their chambers. The Princess was tugging the tail of the large man's shirt out of his waistband with a wicked grin, too focused on undressing her husband to notice the two accidental spectators. They were able to pick up her saying something about having her _'very own Norse god in her bed'_ before the door clicked shut. The Queen had her eyes shut in an attempt to erase _that_ particular thought of her little sister sleeping with someone from her head while Crixus stifled a snort. After a brief awkward moment, Elsa opened her eyes and continued on down the hall with the Gaul at her side. The muffled step of her high-heeled boots matched the soft padding of his broad bare feet on the plush carpet as they fell into step. They didn't dare speak and could hear muffled thumps and thuds the closer they got to the door. If only the stupid infirmary wasn't just a hall over, the blonde would have taken a detour. Right after they passed the door, they heard Anna bellow from the back of their chambers:

"_FUCK ME, MOUNTAIN MAN!_" Immediately followed by Kristoff's loud laughter.

"Oh _kill_ me now." Elsa muttered and sped up, a blush of embarrassment dusting her pale freckled cheeks.

"It is a human need, Domina." Crixus chuckled teasingly.

"Yes, but that's my sister. So no more talk about that."

"Yes, Domina." Was his response as they finally turned onto the corridor the infirmary was located on.

"I mean it, Crixus. Not another word on the matter." She told him sternly right as they walked into the starkly furnished medical chamber.

"Of course, Domina." He bit his lips to keep from laughing.

The infirmary was an airy feeling chamber with a high vaulted ceiling and tall windows on the East side of the room. White granite and mahogany trim contrasted cleanly, reflecting dully in the polished marble floor. A row of six small beds was lined up against the west wall and a small oak cabinet separated each one. Wrought iron wall sconces were bolted to the walls and the burning oil in them flickered merrily in the breeze from a few of the cracked windows. Their footsteps echoed off of the hard surfaces on the tail end of their conversation.

The Keep's Surgeon, Claudius Fjorderrick, was a no-nonsense aging man of sixty-three with salt and pepper hair and one that reminded Elsa of a grouchy old badger. When the aforementioned man shuffled from his office at the sound of voices the Queen immediately quieted, remembering how he preferred silence to work in. She had only cried once in his infirmary when she was very young and had scraped her knee. The stern look he had pinned her with as he wiped the blood away had scared her into silence, and since then when she had to visit a habit of rarely speaking was put into place. When he saw who it was, he gestured to the back where the small operating room was and changed course, knowing they would follow him. They filed silently into the brightly lit room, and Claudius guided the Gaul to sit upon the gurney.

"Arm." He quipped, holding out a weathered hand.

Crixus extended his right forearm and let the surgeon study the old brand for a few moments, remaining patiently silent as strong weathered hands prodded at the raised scar tissue. He grunted as he made his conclusion in his head and stepped back. Claudius crossed his arms across his thin chest and fixed his stern glare on a stoic Crixus.

"Are you sure you want it gone? I will have to remove that entire square of skin. It will be just as unsightly _but_ it won't be there anymore."

"This mark causes me pain every time I see it. I will always take plain marred flesh before this cursed mark."

Claudius only nodded and smiled grimly in understanding. As he began to gather his tools needed he noticed the Queen was still standing silently by.

"Your Majesty, I did not know you were still here. The procedure I am about to perform may be too graphic for you."

"Crixus asked me to be here. I'll look away if I need to." She smiled her serene court smile and took a seat next to the left of her protector on the covered gurney.

The Surgeon only shook his head in mild exasperation grumbling about stubborn women and carried his now laden tray over to the lightweight wooden table next to them. He pulled the table and a stool over in front of the Gaul and disappeared back into his office. Crixus studied the sharp steel instruments with a wary eye and unconsciously flexed and clenched his large hands. Elsa could see the nervous energy vibrating under his skin and was about to reassure him when the grizzly man reemerged with three clean glasses and a bottle of strong liquor. He poured a near-full glass of golden amber liquid and handed it to the Gaul.

"For the pain." He instructed and handed a much smaller serving to the Queen. "Because this won't be pretty." He told her in his strange humor.

Crixus sniffed the drink and wrinkled his nose when the biting alcohol burned the inside of his nostrils. His eyebrows shot to his hairline when the blonde nonchalantly took a sip of her drink and sighed in satisfaction, commenting on the year to the Surgeon.

"What is this?" He asked and took a tiny taste.

"_Tequila_. Claudius is rather fond of the drink and I've enjoyed a few bottles myself, though I prefer brandy. Do you remember the map of the Western world I showed you? A region in between the Northern and Southern Americas specializes in distilling this beverage from a special plant."

"I still do not believe that the earth is round." He grumbled and took another sip of his drink, frowning at the taste.

"Take a larger mouthful and swallow it as quickly as you can. Toss your head back if you need to." Elsa instructed and watched him hesitantly bring his glass to his lips.

Crixus took a large mouthful and swallowed it down hastily, coughing and spluttering from the burn that blazed all the way down his esophagus and into his stomach. After so many years of drinking the acidic wine of ancient Rome and then the milder hoppy beers of Arendelle, he was not prepared for the sharp taste of the Tequila. The Queen patted him on the back good-naturedly and held back a smirk, remembering her first experience with the drink all too vividly.

"_Vile_."He muttered and wiped his mouth with his free hand.

"Drink up, it's your pain medicine because I don't think this is going to feel too good." The Surgeon informed him, handing the Queen the stoppered bottle and taking a seat on his stool, taking a second to spread a clean white sheet over the Gaul's lap.

"I forgot that you despise using ether." She muttered, cradling the heavy glass bottle.

"Nasty stuff, ether. Used it once and never again. Saw a chap high off the gas in London walk right off a bridge." He informed them while he swabbed the inside of the Gaul's arm clean with alcohol.

When Claudius picked up his scalpel Crixus quickly downed the rest of his strong drink with a grimace and braced himself for the bite of the knife. The surgeon pushed his arm down to rest on his right thigh, the clean sheet crinkling from the movement. Elsa set the bottle down next to her hip between them and pulled his empty glass from his hand and rested it behind them-his now-free hand immediately clamping down on his left thigh. Air hissed through his tightly clenched teeth as the grizzled man cut shallowly into the bronzed skin around the raised brand, carving a neat rectangle slowly with a sure and steady hand. The blonde cradled her glass in her left hand and watched Claudius take a clean rag and dab the ruby red blood away from the site so he could see what he was doing. Once the man was satisfied with his incisions, he began to cut the skin away with controlled precise strokes. A growl of pain rumbled out of the Gaul's chest and Elsa looked down and noticed how tightly his hand was on his leg. Long fingers spasmed but he refused to make another sound, something the Queen knew she could probably never do. She took a moment and studied the contours of his fingers and watched the tendons shift like strings under his skin, the raised veins sliding over them as they moved when he gripped tighter.

"You're doing well, lad. Getting there."

The Surgeon's calming reassurance made Elsa's curiosity get the better of her and she looked up from Crixus's hand to see what was going on. Mild nausea curdled in her stomach when she saw the thick branded skin half shaved off of the Gaul's forearm and pulled away from his body, the deep red and pink of the meat beneath weeping steadily onto the no-longer pristine sheet. She quickly turned her head away and lurched forward a little bit when her gag reflex kicked in, tipping her off balance just enough so that she had to brace herself with her right hand. She didn't mean to, but the way the skin looked rubbery was not an appealing sight. _At all_. Elsa hadn't realized it at first, but her hand she used to brace herself landed directly on the Gaul's clutching his leg. She almost pulled back but his thumb slid over and tightly trapped the tips of her fingers between his thumb and forefinger in a refusal to let her go. So Elsa decided that she would just squeeze back since it seemed he needed a little comfort… Or maybe he was just keeping her from pitching forward onto her face. Most likely the latter…

"Don't go fainting on me, your Majesty." The Surgeon droned and continued to cut the square of scar tissue away without looking away from his task.

"Skin… should not bend like that." She muttered and threw back the contents of her glass, continuing to stare at the ceiling and let the Gaul numb her fingertips in his steely grip.

Claudius chuckled. "Ah, so it's the skin that bothers you and not the blood."

"You forget I am a woman and have probably seen just as much blood as you have." She answered him tartly, only making the Surgeon _harrumph_ in agreement.

It was only a moment longer when Claudius leaned away from the Gaul and set his tools and a bloody rectangle of scar tissue back onto his tray. Elsa felt and saw Crixus relax in relief next to her, his shoulders slumping and his grip loosening considerably on her fingers. While the Surgeon began to clean the open site and treat it with herbs and a salve, he glanced over and quirked an eyebrow at their still linked hands but didn't say a word since they didn't notice he had seen; both of their gazes locked on the harmless little piece of flesh he had removed.

"I think you could both use another drink. Especially _you_, lad… A rather large one." He suggested evenly and wiped the Gaul's arm clean with a damp rag, pulling the bloodied sheet from his lap.

Elsa sat up pulled her hand away from his in a reluctance she really didn't want to address. The Queen slid from her seat and set about the task of pouring their drinks that the doctor literally ordered. She held out a near-full glass to the slightly sweating Gaul and watched him down the entire thing in three massive gulps, holding back a laugh when he grimaced from the biting taste. While Claudius was wrapping Crixus's arm up she let herself have just a little more, tossing it back quickly and taking their used glasses and the closed bottle over to where a third clean one was waiting on the counter. When her back was turned she missed the impressed look the Gaul shot her way. Elsa cleared her throat softly and returned to the two men, enjoying the slow warmth spreading out from her belly and the numbness that tingled at the tip of her nose.

"Much gratitude, for your kindness. And for the drink." Crixus thanked Claudius as he tied off the bandage.

"You're welcome. Just remember to come back and see me twice a day so I can check on your healing and change the dressing. I know how active you are so we don't need this getting infected. But just humor me and try to keep it as clean and dry as you can."

"I will do my best."

"Alright. Scoot on then."

Crixus nodded and heaved himself to his feet. He swayed a little bit and cradled his bandaged arm, staring first at the stark white linen and then down at the little rectangle of branded skin. The brightest smile Elsa had ever seen lit up his face and it was absolutely infectious.

"_Finally._" He hummed happily and thanked the Surgeon again.

"Thank you, Claudius. Your patience and flexibility is appreciated." The blonde told the gruff man as she began to follow the retreating Gaul.

"It was no trouble, your Majesty." He returned her smile and bowed politely before busying himself with cleaning up.

Their journey out of the infirmary had the slightly inebriated Gaul escorting an amused Elsa back to her chambers in a lazy, meandering gait. The entire way back through the dimly lit corridors was spent with Crixus beaming at his brand-free arm and the Queen absent mindedly humming a tune that she had thought up a few years ago when she had run off after her disaster of a coronation. When they turned onto the hall her chambers were on, Crixus slowed just a tad and walked sideways next to Elsa in a silly shuffling crab walk of sorts. She snorted a laugh at him and arched a sculpted brow when he just grinned at her, obviously starting to feel the effects of the temperamental alcohol. Before she could ask him how he felt, the large man swooped down and slipped his huge toned arms around her waist and ribs, easily hoisting her up and holding her tightly to his body. She let out a surprised squeak and hastily wrapped her arms around his neck and held on to his broad shoulders when she felt her feet leave the ground. He buried his face in the crook of her bare neck and held her securely while he continued to shuffle down the hall in a looping spin. Elsa blushed deeply and suppressed a shiver when his steady breath puffed over her clavicle hotly, grateful that the long skirt of her dress curbed the temptation to wrap her legs around his tapered hips.

"_Domina."_

The low rumble of his voice vibrated through her chest and she inhaled sharply when pleasure lanced through her body in a heady rush of euphoria. Her emotions were careening dangerously out of control and she swallowed thickly to force a moan back down, certain that the intentions of his hug were not what _she_ wanted them to be. The spicy scent of cinnamon and lye soap and his natural masculine smell raged through her senses and made her chest tighten and ache with a deep hunger she had been fighting for the past couple months. Her pulse pounded heavily between her legs and she had to squeeze her eyes shut for a moment to try and reign in the slipping hold on her powers that were slowly turning her sleeves to frost. It was a mistake, because the feel of his hard body pressing into her was amplified and Elsa _swore_ there was a furnace underneath his bronzed skin. It was a shamefully sensual sensation that easily loosened her grip on her rational thinking. If he didn't put her down, and do so _soon_, she was certain she would do something they would both regret. They must have been on the same wavelength because he slowed to a stop and gently lowered her back down to the ground. This time, Elsa couldn't suppress the shiver and goose bumps when his hands languidly slid from her slender waist. Thankfully he didn't seem to notice and the Queen carefully removed her arms from around his neck, clenching her slim fingers into tight fists so she wasn't tempted to run her hands down the thick arms corded with muscle.

"_Apologies, Domina. The drink has made me loose in my manners."_

A hot blush from his mild intoxication and embarrassment darkened his angular cheeks; his dark eyes flitting nervously to the Queen's equally flushed face. His eyes widened a little when he noticed how dark her normally bright blue eyes had grown but chose not to comment, fearing it would create an even more awkwardness between them. He _knew_ that look all too well and seeing it directed at him from the _Queen_… that was a dangerous realization he needed to tread lightly around. It made the odd thoughts that had been nagging at _his_ consciousness for the past few weeks bubble to the surface.

"_It's alright. I was not offended."_ She answered in a low raspy voice, the evidence of her arousal all too apparent in her tone.

"_Truly? If I have overstepped-"_

"_Crixus. It's alright."_

The man opened and closed his mouth a few times but Elsa's stern look shut down his needless apologies every time. Finally he gave up and just grinned again, rubbing the outside of his bandaged forearm. They stood silently and the blonde realized they were right outside her chambers-not that she wanted to leave the Gaul's company so soon. She looked up into his face and noticed that unshed tears were shining in his dark eyes. He looked right back into her own gaze and Elsa felt her breath whoosh from her lungs when he pinned her with a powerful look swirling with gratitude and elation. A smile split his face and his raspy voice was so soft she almost didn't catch it.

"_You set me free."_


	11. Chapter 11

**Fuck yeah chapter 11. With a ways to go yet! Super sweet. Also, I didn't realize how LONG this one was going to be so… sorry 'bout that. Also, I had THE BEST revelation while I was jotting my chapter notes down for this one… The first initials of the four main characters spell out CAKE. I got **_**waaay**_** too excited when I realized that.**

**Stay tuned for a silly short note from my beta at the very bottom of the chapter…**

**This was also known as the 'titties' chapter between us because that's what I had it labeled as before I thought of a real title. So… I present the monster titties chapter.**

Bait

The tournament progressed without any further hiccups, Aster retaking his slot in the lineup and losing spectacularly to the enormous Sir Vladimir in the finals. The gathering had been a wonderful event for the kingdoms to draw closer in alliances, ones both for business and of friendship. Many left with promises of new trade agreements and there was even a suggestion of an arranged marriage proposal between two of the smallest kingdoms. All in all it was an extremely successful event with many benefits to all of those in attendance, even the poor embarrassed Seaward dignitary had new agreements. The guests left in droves, eager to return to their own homes after a whirlwind trip to the beautiful city of Arendelle. Finally the Keep was quiet again and normal schedules resumed without delay. Kristoff and Crixus continued their training and then after a slightly heated argument, Elsa convinced the Gaul that she was healthy enough to start her own training again as well. He had reluctantly agreed and stepped her regimen up a notch, pushing her harder in their endurance exercises and introducing new meditative stretches to keep her limber and fluid. The physical activity quickly improved her mood and kept her head clear of the nervous energy that had been distracting her through the entire tournament. Of course a large part of that was residual tension from the surprise bear hug her protector had given her. The blonde _needed_ the distraction and the release of energy.

Then just a few days later the Kingdom was a buzzing hustle and bustle of excitement again, this time for the Queen's twenty-sixth birthday. She hadn't wanted the celebration but Anna had insisted, having missed her twenty-fifth because she had departed for Italy a few weeks prior. Elsa had promised her sister at the very _least_ to make an appearance at the gates, but all the blonde wanted to do was spend it with her family and friends. Thankfully, she got exactly what she wanted. She rose late that morning and soaked in a lavender bath. Next she had a simple breakfast of fruits and grain porridge in her room before donning a comfortable _bunad_ of dark charcoal grays and blues. Her advisors had cleared her schedule for the day so she spent the rest of the morning reading in the private garden she favored. Crixus surprised her at lunchtime with a picnic basket full of a horribly mismatched lunch he had prepared himself. It was endearing and she made him stay and help her eat it since he had brought her _way_ too much. That afternoon she practically had to force the Gaul to let her go ride her horse and he only relented when she told him to come with her. When they got back a few hours later rumpled from their ride, Anna immediately shoved the blonde back into her chambers to clean up. A second quick bath for the day had her dressed and ready for a small intimate dinner of her, Anna, Kristoff, and to the Queen's pleasant surprise, Crixus.

The night was finished off with a decadent spread of different kinds of chocolate, the topper being a huge and practically orgasmic chocolate cake that Elsa was so tempted to literally _faceplant_ into. Following their coma-inducing meal, there was a short exchange of gifts. Anna gave her a huge selection of special chocolate from their neighboring Swedish kingdoms, promising that it was all for her and that she wouldn't eat any of it. Kristoff gave her a sized-down pickaxe to fit her frame with a promise to take her ice harvesting whenever she wanted. Crixus surprised her with a leather pauldron and scaled sleeve that belted across her chest. He insisted it was for her training and fought a blush when she asked if he made it for her himself. As they left and went their ways for the remainder of the night, the Gaul caught Elsa right outside her chambers, a small canvas wrapped bundle in his hands. Inside was a small dagger he insisted that she keep on her person at all times.

From inside his belt he had pulled a handmade and delicately braided necklace with bronze fasteners, very similar to the double-looped thick cord he wore about his own neck. He stumbled over an explanation that the adornment was a right and a privilege of high status from the village he had been raised in. Elsa was humbled by the weight of the small gift and thanked him profusely for it. She kept the necklace on her bureau, front and center of all of her jewelry even if she didn't wear it. When she noticed Crixus looked for it on her neck the next morning, she changed her mind and made a point to begin wearing it to their training sessions. He noticed immediately and she could tell it made him happy to see it around her neck and Elsa knew she had made the right decision. The weight of the bronze quickly grew to be a comforting feeling as it rested in the hollow of her throat, and she unconsciously found herself wearing it more and more in her down time.

* * *

The bright summer sun rose on another clear and cloudless day two weeks after the Queen's birthday. The Kingdom had returned to its usual lazy grind of late summer farming and fishing and herding the livestock out to pasture, falling back into the slow routine of a prosperous economy waiting for the crops to ripen. Elsa had just finished up reading through a collection of the livestock farmer's latest reports and predictions for the late year's wool harvest when Anna asked her to go have lunch with her. They retired to the small patio they favored and the leisurely meal last maybe fifteen minutes before the Princess started grilling her older sister.

"So. You've been really adamant about avoiding that talk."

"Anna, _please_…" Elsa groaned and sat back in her chair, rubbing her temples.

"_Oooh_ no you don't. We _are_ going to talk about this. This is important."

Elsa let her hands drop to her lap and pleaded to her stern younger sister with her eyes to just let the matter go… but was met with a firm stare that could easily rival their mother's. The blonde slumped further in her seat and sighed in defeat, gesturing for Anna to get on with her interrogation.

"Elsa, I'm not doing this to be the nosy kid sister. I'm genuinely worried. Your last relationship had a…_ really_ bad end and I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I… I understand. What do you want to know?"

"Just to get this straight in my head, how long have you known him for?"

"You mean Crixus?"

"Yes."

"It'll be a year in November total… But since the middle of spring really when Pabbie woke him up."

"So not that long."

"Not really, no." Elsa frowned in realization.

"Do you guys… like… hang out or anything?"

"We don't really _hang out_…" The blonde raised a brow.

"Stop being thick. Do you talk to each other on a regular basis outside of your work?" Anna snapped in exasperation, knowing the blonde was just buying herself some time.

"I… have been teaching him how to read and write. And… we sometimes meet in the portrait gallery to talk." She added on reluctantly. Thankfully her sister noticed the change in tone and eased off, choosing to tread a little more carefully now.

"May I ask about what?"

The Queen stared at her twisting hands in her lap and tried to start a few times. When Anna relaxed from her aggressive posture, Elsa felt brave enough to talk.

"One night he found me in front of Adam and… we just talked. We talk about him, and we talk about the woman he lost… We share stories whether they're good or bad… Just… _talking_."

"You're learning to let them go…" Anna whispered more to herself, but Elsa nodded nonetheless.

"That part is more for me, but yes. Crixus is learning to accept that Naevia is dead and has been for a _very_ long time… We're still at different stages but only because I've had more time. He's only had months." She told the Princess quietly, eyes still on her hands.

"Naevia… Didn't he ask about her when he woke up?" Her face fell a little when Elsa nodded in confirmation.

"So… is this attraction based on your losses? Or… I know that is a _really_ horrible question…" Anna cringed, cursing her bluntness and feeling guilty when her sister flinched.

"I-I don't know. I don't think so… I…"

Elsa thought for sure that her feisty younger sister was going to cut her off with a tirade, but she remained blessedly silent. That _alone_ made her pry her gaze away from her twisted digits and almost into tears when she saw nothing but patience looking back at her. She swallowed heavily and cleared her throat for just a few more seconds to find her words.

"I _know_ I have a physical attraction to him, one that is becoming increasingly stronger even though I'm not sure I want it to. At _all_. But we've become good friends now, not just through helping each other grieve but how we interact. I _know_ he isn't ready at all to move on and be with someone else, Naevia was all that mattered to him for a very long time. I don't want to force him away from her, I don't want to be that woman he throws himself at to forget and dull the pain. And just for the record, that… _awkwardness_ the day of our first training session was nothing more than residual adrenaline from the attack earlier that day. If he ever decides to be with someone again, it won't be for years."

"I don't know about that, you seem to mean a lot to him." Anna told her quietly after a brief moment of thought.

"We're friends." Elsa stated firmly.

"The way he was starting to look at you the night of the ball tells me otherwise."

"What?! No."

"I have _never_ seen him smile like that before. Hell, I hadn't seen _you_ smile like that in years!"

"We were having _fun_, there's nothing to get out of that. We're just friends."

"So it's perfectly normal for a female friend to help her male friend with his crotch measurements." She deadpanned.

"_In my defense_, I didn't _know_ he was being a brat about those _particular_ measurements." She blushed a bright red, sitting forward as she hissed her argument.

"You _could_ have turned around and left."

"I…" Elsa slumped back into her seat again, confusion sweeping the blush from her cheeks. "…why didn't I do that…?"

"Because whether you want to admit it or not, part of you likes him. Romantically. Or carnally, which ever word you prefer-"

"_Anna!_"

"I know, I know, sorry. But Elsa, you _need_ to be careful. Yeah, I may be teasing you until you dump me in the fjord, but I only do it because while I _am_ a little nervous about you being attracted to him so quickly… I'm still very happy for how happy _you_ are. And… that scares me a little bit. I'm not doing a very good job explaining myself am I?"

"I… understand that you're trying to protect me."

"And making sure you aren't jumping into this too quickly."

"And that too."

The two sisters sat in silence for just a moment before Anna rose from her chair and rounded the small table. She knelt next to her sister and rested her hands on the blonde's knees. Elsa smiled weakly and leaned down, wrapping Anna in a tight hug she desperately needed.

"_Thank you."_ She whispered hoarsely, fighting a wave of emotion back.

Anna nodded gently and let Elsa hug her for as long as she wanted, lending the Queen the emotional support she needed. When the blonde finally released the Princess, Anna sat back on her heels and let her carefully wipe the unshed tears from her eyes.

"You _know_ you can always talk to me about this stuff, Elsa. I'm not going to judge you."

Elsa raised an eyebrow skeptically and Anna rolled her eyes.

"Okay, well I might a _little_ but that's because you're my sister and you got to judge _me_ with that whole Hans disaster."

Elsa hid a chuckle behind her hand and enjoyed the rest of the lunch with her sister, feeling much more at ease. The Queen returned to her duties, determined to try and get as much done as she could before she had to go and meet with the Dock Master at three. Since the tragedy in the harbor this past spring, Arendelle had commissioned four new frigates and two brigs to bolster the numbers of their navy. She was in her office wrapping up on some documents when a soft tattoo echoed through her door.

"Enter." She called, not looking up from her task.

The willowy Mr. Rott slipped into the room and silently crossed the room, taking a seat in one of the chairs in front of the Queen's desk.

"Mr. Rott, to what do I owe this pleasure?" The blonde asked, knowing exactly who it was.

"Your Majesty, I am happy to find you well." He commented nonchalantly. "But I fear I have some worrisome news for you."

That caught her attention. She paused in her writing and glanced up at the serene man, her brow raising a fraction of an inch as she focused on him. "May I ask what it is?"

"It seems that… the man we had the pleasure of speaking with in the dungeons those few weeks ago…" Elsa's eyes hardened. "…has an accomplice. We have been monitoring him the last couple days and it _also_ seems that he has been getting some help. He knows your schedule for the rest of this week."

Elsa groaned in frustration and plunked her quill into its holder, sitting back heavily in her seat and rubbing her temples.

"Someone really does not like you, my Queen."

"So it appears… Tell me, Mr. Rott. Have you found this man's helper?"

"Yes, we are simply waiting to detain her until this killer has been dealt with.

"Her?"

"One of your more… _impressionable_ chambermaids, I'm afraid."

"Of _lovely_… Well. Fill me in, I'd like to know your thoughts on how to proceed."

"You flatter me."

"You are a very smart man, Mr. Rott. I trust your counsel."

"_Two_ compliments? You must be in a very good mood today. Anyhow, enough chitchat, I do _in fact_ have a plan."

"Do tell." Elsa quipped dryly, leaning forward again with elbows on the desktop and lacing her fingers together in front of her mouth.

"Go about your business as usual."

The Queen stared at him blankly for a moment before enunciating very slowly, "Run that by me again."

"Go about your business as usual. But make sure you go directly through the marketplace on your way back from the docks. Your spur of the moment decision to put yourself in harm's way in the throne room worked _so_ well I thought we could produce the same results. Your guardian has already been informed, though he _did_ put up quite a fight about it. He's rather protective of you, your Majesty."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then we will have to risk him taking more desperate actions… such as attempting to break into the castle. Which will put not only you, but your sister at risk."

Elsa sighed heavily and dropped her forehead onto her tightly intertwined knuckles, knowing his logic to be sound. "I suppose I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Your Gaul and my men will be there with you. Our only goal right now is to capture the man. But if he dies in the process, we always have the chambermaid."

Mr. Rott rose from his chair without a sound and floated to the door. He put his hand on the knob and turned back to the _more_ than stressed ruler.

"Queen Elsa, in my many years serving Arendelle, you are one of the bravest and least selfish to rule. We will keep you safe."

Even though his words were meant to reassure her, after the talk she had with Anna they only made her feel worse.

* * *

The small party of the Queen and her guard entered the Dock Master's large office on the Wharves just after three o'clock, the fishy smell of salt and ocean a gamey taste on the back of their tongues. The ginger-haired grizzly man lumbered out from the back room, wiping his hands clean on a dirty rag. He greeted them in his best formal manner and gestured them to a table on the far side of the room. It was laden with blue prints and ledgers laid out in a surprisingly neat order in contrast with the rest of the cluttered office.

"Welcome, yer Majesty! I'm so glad yeh could make it! I was worried 'cause o' all the trouble yeh've been havin'. Please, let me inform yeh of our progress."

Elsa approached the rough-hewn oak table and accepted the sheaf of parchment from the Dock Master. She had never been so glad to be wearing one of her more simple cotton summer _bunads_ and to have her hair twisted up in a plait on the back of her head, it was nearly unbearable inside the dim office. She turned to Crixus who was standing to the right of her elbow, noticing he was starting to perspire in the stuffy furnace of a room.

"_Would you mind opening a window or two?"_

"_I hoped that you would ask."_ He rumbled and immediately set about the task, a hot salty breeze wafting into the room and washing away the dry staleness.

"Forgive me, I'm a bit overheated from my walk here… Now. These are the current expenses?"

"Aye, and that far right column is the predicted total fer all finishin' expenses."

"That's not nearly as much as the number I had originally worked. How is that possible?" She looked up from the accounting chart, a frown beginning to pull at the corners of her mouth.

"Yeh see… When all me workers saw what yeh did that day, savin' tha ships and most o' their crews… They didn't want payment. Somethin' about repayin' ya."

"That is _entirely_ unnecessary."

"Tha's what I told 'em, but I'd find their paystubs jammed under me office door the next day. I've been usin' their payment ta feed 'em but it ain't as expensive as their regular pay."

The Queen sighed heavily and pressed her lips into a thin line of disapproving reluctance to the matter, resolving to address it again at a later date. It wasn't the fact that her citizens were acting so selflessly, it's that such a huge flux in funds could put strain on other parts of the economy. She checked over the remaining figures, running through the calculations quickly and finding no fault in the Dock Master's charts and ledgers at first glance. After the financial portion of their visit had been completed, the grizzly man led her and her guard from the office and out into the shipyard where the giant wooden skeletons of the new additions to the navy loomed over them. Two of the frigates were near completion, while the remaining four were in varying degrees of construction. The Queen let the Dock Master lead her around the yard and give her a report on each vessel, ignoring the looks for the workers and peppering the grizzled man with questions as they came to the forefront of her mind. Some of her questions already had answers from the time she spent abroad recently but she wanted to test the man to see if he was hiding anything of suspicion. When they finally got back around to the office, she was clear in her decision that this man was true and loyal to his word and to Arendelle, which was an enormous reassurance in itself.

"An' at the end o' the day I inspect them all me self after the men leave. Ain't gonna be any mishaps on mah watch, yer Majesty."

"That is wonderful news to hear, thank you."

"Ain't no need for thanks, yer Majesty. I'm just doin' me job." He mumbled humbly, but his chest swelled with the praise.

"Never the less, I truly appreciate you and your worker's hard work. Please continue with your bi-weekly reports, I must return to the keep and attend to other matters."

"O' course, yer Majesty. I'm glad ta be o' assistance to you any time."

He bowed lowly to the Queen's nod and escorted the party back out of the shipyard through the front of the dim office. They made it just a few feet down the block when Crixus bent down and rumbled his disapproval _again_ for the plan they were about to carry out.

"_Domina, please reconsider what you are about to do."_

"_My mind is made up, Crixus. Please respect that."_ She snapped impatiently, her nerves beginning to fray.

Elsa stopped a moment and pressed her cool fingertips into her pounding temples, the muggy humid heat starting to make her feel like she was swimming instead of walking. She was regretting not choosing to wear one of her cooling ice gowns when a bead of sweat crawled uncomfortably down the very center of her spine. The bright sun beat down on her head and shoulders while a hot breeze rippled her skirts about her legs. She took a deep breath of the pungent air and let her hands drop limply to her sides.

"_Forgive me, I am not one for the heat." _She peered up at the tall man against the sun, her somber crystal blue eyes glittering like jewels. "_If we do not catch this man now… Who's to say he won't try to get to me through Anna or Kristoff… or you?"_

The Gaul didn't answer, his deep frown paired with his silence speaking for itself that he knew this to be a logical point of view. Satisfied with his response-or lack thereof- Queen Elsa sighed heavily and forced her expression into a more neutral tone before she turned to the small group of soldiers.

"Alright. Let's go."

Six murmurs of acknowledgment were all she needed and soon the monarch was striding down the bustling cobblestone lane with a stormy Crixus at her elbow and the men falling into formation behind them. They quickly cut through the throng of pedestrians, taking the most direct route back to the keep.

Through the market.

The closer they drew, the more rigid the Queen's posture got as her fear grew. She wound tighter and tighter with anxiousness at every step, her breathing becoming more shallow and short. Frost was beginning to curl around her long sleeves and ice crusted the tips of her shoes. It became such a noticeable difference that Crixus had to pause them a second time.

"_You must breathe, Domina. The assassin will know that we know about him."_

She didn't answer him but took a deep breath in through her nose, the smells of spices from various vendors' stalls prickling at the back of her tongue. The dull low murmur of the consumers milling about was broken by distant random cries from the fishermen back on the Wharves. Gradually she was able to get control over her powers and posture again, rolling her slimly compact shoulders back in a set of determination.

"_I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."_

The hot whisper on her ear made a chill run up her spine despite the heat, and the blonde had to take another deep breath to keep her mind from wandering unnecessarily. She cocked her head to the side just a tad, her eyes falling to the toes of his dusty boots. Her voice caught in her throat for just a second as the sincerity of his statement sunk in.

"_I know you will."_

If Crixus hadn't been standing so close he wouldn't have heard her soft acceptance. Now that he could see she had visibly relaxed, he took a step back to a more respectable distance and followed closely behind the sedately strolling Queen. She browsed the stalls, seeing but not registering what was in front of her. The blonde was more focused on keeping a distance from any of the citizens of Arendelle while still keeping the right distance to the goods _and_ keeping herself out in the open. It was a tricky ordeal, trying to keep these three variables in her mind as she navigated her way through the grid… but she managed. The oppressive heat made the stagnant air seem even thicker and the party could feel it sapping at their energy. Crixus's dark eyes were roving over the faces around them with a practiced gaze, watching for any sudden movements or flashing blades. There were workers milling about on some of the rooftops close to them on their right, re-shingling some of the large buildings that housed a multitude of families. He gave the roofers a once over and dropped his gaze down to the numerous open windows, skimming them for anyone watching. He frowned and rubbed the heel of his hand across his forehead to wipe away the sweat that was gathering on his brow. A loud shout from up ahead caught his attention and loosed his sword in its scabbard, but it fell away into laughter.

He could hear the Queen mutter a few curses under her breath and watched her jaw clench for a quick moment. He could tell that she was just as unhappy about this as he was… Elsa was upset that this was the best choice to keep her family safe, while Crixus worried for her own well being. If something happened to her… Even though he had known her for a few bare months, the Gaul still felt drawn to her in a way that he had only felt with his brothers of the Arena and Naevia. He cared about her, and that extended out to the goofy princess and her sarcastic husband. Risks like this had been the norm in Capua, but to think that they still had to be made in a more modern time baffled him. The Queen was now staring at stacked bolts of fabric in blues and greens and golds that matched the colors of her family's standards with almost unseeing eyes. He had just pointed out a darker olive green he was more particular to when surprised shouts from the workers on the rooftops reached his ears. His head snapped up and his piecing gaze zeroed in on a figure that _had_ to be the assassin. He was just above them and Crixus's body lurched into motion when he noticed the man had a heavy, sleek crossbow pointed at them and the Queen was directly in his crosshairs.

The only thing Crixus could do was react. He spun and wrapped his massive arms around the slender body of the monarch and hunched over just as a gasp rose up from around them. As he followed his momentum downward, a dull metallic _thunk_ echoed in his ears and a force like a hammering blow jolted the back of his right shoulder. He could feel something pressing into his shoulder blade but whatever it was hadn't broken through the final padding of his armor. The Gaul vaguely registered that the six other guards were shoving people down and behind cover while simultaneously drawing in close to him and the Queen. In his arms he could feel her shake against his broad chest and anger bubbled through his body like molten metal. Crixus gently deposited Elsa on the cobblestones and ripped his sword from its sheath. Fury roared through his veins and he reared back with sword in hand and with one of the loudest bellows the blonde had ever heard, the Gaul hurled his gleaming blade end over end. The assailant attempted to dodge, but he was too slow. The gladius of Damascus steel impaled the man through the stomach with a sickening thud right before two of Mr. Rotte's inconspicuous men reached him.

The familiar and comforting feeling of adrenaline and bloodlust coursed through his veins and produced a heady feeling that combated with his rage at the attack. He could see the whites of the impaled man's eyes and he bared his teeth in a menacing snarl and roared again, expelling a good bit of the tension that had him in a right mess. He stared the grievously wounded assassin down until the two men that worked for the spy master drug him out of sight and yet he _still_ continued to peer up at the rooftops. A cool hand tentatively rested on the outside of his thigh just above his knee, successfully snapping him from his trance. Crixus looked down and his eyes found a grim-faced Queen seated on the now ice-covered ground, skirts bunched about her knees and looking visibly stunned and shaken but grateful for his quick reaction. The Gaul forced his body to back away from the violent edge he was teetering on and turned around, offering the monarch both of his large hands. She slipped her slender hands into his and gripped tightly as he easily lifted her to her feet. He could feel the nervous tremor in her grip and held on tighter when her fingers remained clamped down on his own. Crixus could feel her labored breathing on his skin and let her catch her breath for a moment.

"_Domina? Are you alright?"_ He rasped, his voice rough from the anger still frothing under the surface.

"_Yes, I'm fine… just a little shaken."_ She whispered, still holding tightly onto his hands, finally chancing a glance at his stony face.

"_Let's get you back to the castle."_

Elsa could only nod in agreement and reluctantly released the Gaul's hands, wanting nothing more than to let him wrap her up in a protective embrace and shield her from the situation they had just gone through. When he turned to lead her away, she spotted a black crossbow bolt protruding from his back. Her soft gasp of surprise and dread made him snap back to her in worry.

"You've been shot!" She cried and carefully pulled him down by the neck of his cuirass, eyes wide with fright and locked on the arrow shaft.

The Gaul grunted and took a knee, trying to tell the Queen that he was uninjured but was rebuked at every turn. Finally, she loosened the leather fastenings on the top of his shoulder and slipped her hand between his skin and the soft olive green padding of his armor. With her other hand gingerly holding onto the bolt, she blindly felt around until her fingertips found where the sharp tip was pressing into the padding. Elsa's shoulders fell in relief when she discovered that it amazingly hadn't broken through and no blood had been drawn. It had punctured the heavy metal plate with ease but had gone in at a very shallow angle, saving the Gaul from injury. For it to still have gone in so deep spoke loudly for how high-powered the assassin's crossbow must be. The thought of what would have happened to her had Crixus not seen him made a sick feeling curdle lowly in her belly.

"_Oh…_ You're okay…" She groaned and leaned into him, her hip bumping into his shoulder in a physical closeness she wouldn't normally display.

"I _was_ attempting to tell you this." He grumbled as she tugged the bolt from his cuirass with a sharp pull.

A funny little whine escaped her throat and she bent down, wrapping her arms around his neck and hiding her face in her bicep and the back of his head. He could tell she was holding back tears and the amount of worry and gratitude she was exhibiting towards him made his heart flop in his chest. When she didn't let go right away he reached up and rested his hands on her closest shoulder and elbow, feeling the hint of a tremble in her slight frame. The Gaul rubbed her arm soothingly and waited patiently for her to gather herself. He knew his Domina was a strong woman, but he also knew that situations like these could be absolutely terrifying when you are used to a much tamer way of life. He just wished his heart would stop flip-flopping in his throat whenever her warm breath washed over the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… um." She mumbled and released him, straightening back up with a nervous blush while her eyes darted back up to the rooftops. They ignored the unsettled townsfolk watching the scene, held back by the rest of her guards who were attempting to tell them to go about their business without much success, the clatter of more approaching law enforcement a welcome sound.

"It's alright." He told her quietly and rose to his feet. "Let's just get you home safe."

* * *

The journey from the nervously buzzing marketplace all the way back to the gates of the keep was one of the quickest that Elsa had ever taken. The Gaul had commandeered a huge working horse from one of farmers, who when he learned it was to escort the Queen back to the palace he quickly relented. The bronzed man had vaulted up onto the beast's broad back and swung the monarch up in front of him like she was a child. Crixus had settled her sideways in front of his knees and reached around her for the reigns. When the massive Fjord horse lurched into an extended canter the momentum threw the shaken monarch back into his solid body. She thought about sitting back up but the jolting gait of the horse and the bronzed arm that snaked around her waist like a band of iron deterred her. It wasn't quite the comforting hug she wanted, but it would have to do.

When they crossed the stone bridge over the steely gray waters of the fjord, Crixus raised his arm in salute to the men at the gates. They saw them coming and the large oaken gates creaked open to let them charge through. The Gaul slowed the workhorse to a quick trot and passed right between the two large fountains and pulled up abruptly at the steps to the Keep. Mr. Rotte was waiting for them with another of his men at the bottom and smiled serenely when Crixus nodded grimly to him. He dismounted easily and reached up, gripping the Queen's trim waist and lifting her down from her perch as if she barely weighed anything. The anonymous man dressed in grays and browns of linen and cotton rounded the front of the steed and accepted the reigns from the Gaul. Without a word, he had jumped into the saddle and cantered back out through the gates to return the animal to its rightful owner. The Spy Master approached the pair with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I have been told that everything went according to plan. That is wonderful news to hear."

"You could say that." Elsa muttered darly, taking a deep breath in through her nose and gave the crossbow bolt to the Spy Master.

"Ah… And how did you retrieve this?" He accepted the projectile and twirled it deftly in his long fingers.

"…Crixus shielded me." She told him quietly and gestured for the Gaul to turn around and show the entry point.

"And did it pierce his skin?"

"I didn't find any blood when I first checked.

"I see. Well to be safe and if it isn't too much trouble for you, Crixus, I'd like to take your armor and test for any trace amounts of poison."

The Gaul nodded silently and made quick work of the lacings at his left shoulder, loosening the large belts about his waist and easing the heavy cuirass and attached pauldrons over his head. He handed the slightly damaged steel off to another anonymous man who appeared at his elbow and allowed the Spy Master to inspect his shoulder.

"It looks like you escaped any immediate danger, though I fear you will have a nasty bruise."

"A small price."

"Oh? Your Majesty, don't let this one get away." Mr. Rot lilted and strode away with a serene smile.

Crixus frowned and turned to the troubled Queen. "_I do not understand his meaning…"_

"_He's just teasing us, I believe."_ She told him, knowing _exactly_ what the Spy Master meant. But if she told her protector, Elsa was afraid that it would ruin their still-growing friendship… or what ever it was between them.

The blonde sighed heavily and muttered something about trying to get some work done before heading up the steps with the Gaul in her wake. They made it through the airy corridors without any hassle, though she was positive that she would be seeing her sister soon with how easily news traveled in Arendelle. Elsa just hoped that Anna wouldn't be too upset with her. The pair finally made it to her study and the blonde let Crixus sweep the chamber before he felt comfortable letting her enter. She couldn't help but watch him prowl through the furniture and around her desk, getting yet another chance to watch the golden mid-afternoon sun slide over the planes of his hardened body. He waved her in when he felt satisfied and waited for her by the open bay window behind her desk laden with old tomes and stacks of documents. Elsa carefully stepped into the room and paused for a second, looking around even though Crixus had proven they were the only two in the room.

"_I guess I'm safe for now."_

The Gaul didn't answer but instead watched her pace around the room, the nervous energy starting to build again as the silence stretched on between them. He remembered watching Lucretia pace like this, back and forth until he was certain her shoes were going to fall from her feet. This went on for a long twenty minutes, interspersed with the Queen sitting at her desk and then immediately hoping back up to her feet and making another couple laps. She was working herself into a frenzy and the temperature in the room dropped, frost creeping in way up high in the ceiling rafters. When the blonde passed by him for seemingly the hundredth time he reached out and gently caught her elbow. She ground to a halt and just stood there, rooted to the floor as ice slowly spiraled out from under her feet. Worried pulled the corners of her mouth down into a frown that didn't suit her, and he had to fight back one of his own when her flat steely eyes found his. But there was that old venom peeking through, that self-depreciation that it was her and her powers to blame for putting the Kingdom and the people she loved around her in danger. He remembered that very look in the eyes of the women of the _Ludus_ and in Naevia's before she was able to find her fight. So Crixus did the only thing he could think of, and that was to pull her into an embrace that he hoped was a comforting one.

"_Whatever plagues your mind, it is not your fault."_ He rumbled, wrapping his arms around her slim shoulders.

Cool, slender arms slid around his middle and squeezed him tightly, her limber form pressing into him and her forehead resting against his clavicle. The Gaul's warmth seeped into her chilled body and Elsa couldn't help but release a frustrated sigh into his chest, her breath ghosting across his pectoral. His skin was soft and smooth where there weren't old scars from his previous life, her hand resting just below the more recently healed puncture wound on his back. The blonde could feel the tension finally beginning to dissipate and breathed lighter, relaxing into her protector with an easy trust that she wouldn't have had even a year ago. The niggling little thoughts at the back of her mind were momentarily silenced and the Queen was enjoying being able to touch the man without her obnoxious hormones trying to hijack her body. If anyone, even her servants who were sworn to secrecy were to see them like this, more rumors would spread like wildfire through the kingdom and both her _and_ her protector's reputation would be ruined. Many had already been cycling about since his first appearance on the docks, and even more at the tournament just a few weeks ago. Elsa _knew_ she was playing a dangerous game by keeping him at her side, but sending him away now would hurt a lot more people than just the two of them. They were able to remain in their quiet little bubble for just a moment longer, but the peace was broken when the distant sounds of an enraged Anna thundered down the corridor.

"_Oh no…"_

Elsa groaned and forced herself to unwind her arms from around the Gaul, taking a step back right as the enraged Princess burst through the double doors to her office. Anna was _livid_. And that was the biggest understatement of the year. Unrestrained fury colored her cheeks and her usually easy-going posture was rigid and aggressive. She stormed across the office and her lips curled back in a menacing sneer, baring her teeth. The Queen was so focused on the force of nature barreling towards her that she didn't even see a grim-faced Kristoff slip into the room and close the doors behind him. Crixus did and he nodded his thanks to the Mountain Man. The rest of the Keep didn't need to hear this conversation.

"_WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"_

Elsa just barely restrained her flinch at her sister's bellow, struggling to slip into a more calm and collected carriage. The monarch opened her mouth to try and explain but Anna threw a hand up and cut across her.

"_NO. _You don't get to speak! _Why_ would you do something so _STUPID?!_"

"Ann-"

"Why didn't you _tell_ me you were even gonna _do_ something like that?! Of _all_ the things you could have done, you had to go and offer yourself up on _A FUCKING SILVER PLATTER!_ WERE YOU NOT EVEN GOING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT I HAD TO SAY ABOUT THAT? This is probably the stupidest thing you've ever done! I'm so _angry_ with you right now."

"Well you are making that _abundantly_ clear." The tart quip was out before she could stop it and Elsa immediately regretted it when Anna's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Oh _I don't think I am._ Let me make this _abundantly clear,"_ She hissed lowly, taking a few steps forward and encroaching on her sister's personal space. "Your stupidly selfish heroics almost got you _killed_ and then where would we be? Huh? Poor little Anna who can't _fucking_ defend herself would be next!"

"But that is _exactly_ why I did this, to keep you safe-"

"_Safe?!_ Seriously?! That is the most convoluted thing I have ever heard come out of your mouth!" Anna cried, flinging her arms out in a gesture of disbelief.

"I had Crixus with me and I can protect myself!"

"And I can't? Elsa, I am a _grown woman_, I am NOT your helpless baby sister any longer!"

"You certainly aren't making a very good case for yourself right now." The blonde snapped; losing the collected visage she was attempting to project.

"_Excuse me?!_"

"Whether you want to believe me or _not_, Anna, this wasn't about just _me_. This was about protecting Arendelle and the people I love. If this _had_ been a selfish act, you can _bet_ that I would be locked up in the tallest tower, forcing the assassin to get to me through _you_."

"There are _other _ways, Elsa! And you could have _told_ me you were going to do something like this!"

"_What_ ways?! There _are_ no other ways! And for your information, _I_ didn't even know I was going to do this until a few hours ago!"

"And you just went along with it?!"

"Maybe you should just never leave the castle again…" Kristoff piped up, but was cowed right away by his wife.

"_NOT. HELPING._"

"Anna if you would just _try_ to understand my point of view-"

"But I _can't_, Elsa. This is so unlike you it's like you haven't made any progress at all!"

"_I beg your pardon._"

"You're doing it again." Anna's voice cracked in an upset tremble and her shoulders slumped in what looked like defeat. "Shutting me out. With that _same damn excuse._"

"No I'm-"

"_YES._ You are. Just like _all_ those years ago. Ever since you came back from Rome you've been distant. Yeah you've still been here but it hasn't been the same."

"Anna-"

"_QUIET!_"

This time, Elsa did flinch back from Anna. The blonde could feel guilt weigh heavily in her chest, a crushing wave of despair buffeting about inside her. When the Princess spoke again her anger had been replaced by betrayal and helplessness.

"I just don't _understand_ how you could do this after all we've been through. After _everything._"

Elsa swallowed had and tried to reach out to her sister, only to have the Princess take a step back. Hot tears prickled at the corners of her eyes and the back of her throat and she curled her hands in protectively around her ribs against the blatant shun. She opened her mouth again but the withering look she received from Anna made her close her mouth so quickly she jarred her teeth.

"It's just like-like freezing my heart did _nothing_. You promised me, Elsa. You _promised me_ that you would _never_ shut me out again."

Her breath whooshed out of her like she had been punched in the gut, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Don't look at me like that, you _know _it's true."

Anna sagged and her face crumpled, her hands twisting together so tightly her knuckles turned white. The Princess's breath hitched painfully in her chest and she bit her lip to stave off the tears threatening to fall.

"It's like you don't even _care._"

"Anna-" Elsa reached out again but this time her younger sister pushed her hands away before she could even touch her.

"_Don't touch me._" A hollow and humorless laugh rattled through her chest. "And after we had that talk earlier… I thought I had _finally_ gotten through to you."

The Queen curled in on herself and grief ripped through her chest. Anna just shook her head in disappointment and Elsa's anger flared dangerously, ice crystallizing on her sleeves.

"So after just this _one_ thing that I do, you're going to throw in the towel? _Is that it?!"_ She snapped, unwinding her arms from around her middle and clenching her fists at her sides.

"It wasn't _just that-"_

"That's what you're saying though!"

"Elsa you could have _died-"_

"_BUT YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE."_ She screamed, her voice raw and aching now. "You would have been _safe_. Why can't you just understand that?!"

"And what about everyone else?! What about Arendelle?!"

"You're my _sister_, Anna. A kingdom I can lose. But you?"

"But then I would have lost _you."_

The venom was so thick in Anna's parting shot that it made Elsa's anger bubble up again. "Even if I _had_ told you, who's to say you wouldn't have kept things under the radar and _let something slip_? I love both you and Kristoff, but you two are some of the clumsiest, bumbling, loose-lipped people I have _ever_ met. It could of been disastrous for us all!"

As soon as the words spewed from her mouth, the Queen knew she had finally overstepped.

"_BUMBLING?! DON'T YOU DARE BRING MY HUSBAND INTO THIS!"_

"He is _just_ as horrible about keeping quiet as _you are!_"

"_THIS IS BETWEEN YOU AND ME_. This is a new low even for _you_, Elsa!"

"Well _HOW THE FUCK_ am I supposed to get you to listen to me otherwise?!"

"By just _talking to me?!_"

"Anna, you _know_ how sensitive some of this information is! I can't just go around blabbing to you! I wasn't allowed to tell anyone!"

"But Crixus-!"

"He's my _body guard!_"

"_SO?!_ _He_ still got to know! I have Kristoff, he would have been there for me!"

"Anna I don't _have_ a husband anymore who would want to protect me. _I AM ALONE NOW_."

"Th-"

"If you were in my position, would you have told me about the assassin?"

Identical blue eyes locked, flinty ice blue clashing as the Princess struggled to find her answer. Elsa's heart thundered in her ears as the oppressing silence weighed them down, her impatience growing with her sister's delay.

"_Would you have?!"_ She snapped harshly, and it was the Princess's turn to flinch away.

Anna looked away, unable to meet her sister's furious gaze any longer. "…I would have done something, _anything_ to tell you. Somehow I think you'd know something was wrong, even if I hadn't said a _single_ thing to you. I would have _tried_, Elsa…"

"And were you aware that one of my chambermaids was a mole?"

The Princess looked up in alarm, a frown wrinkling her brown and her mouth falling open in shock.

"_Don't you dare come in here and patronize me for my actions when you don't have all the information."_ The Queen hissed through clenched teeth, her voice lower and more dangerous than any other time Anna had heard her before. The blonde wasn't just upset and angry anymore, she was absolutely furious. The Princess pressed her lips into a thin line and just nodded, literally throwing her hands up in defeat.

"I'm done. I'm _so_ done."

Elsa gaped as her sister spun on her heel and stormed away from her. Kristoff slid to the door over a partially frosted carpet and jerked the door open. The Queen took a few aggressive steps after her and shouted at the Princess's retreating back.

"_SO NOW YOU'RE JUST GOING TO FUCKING LEAVE?!"_

Anna didn't even break her stride, but scalding tears were thick in her voice.

"_YES I AM."_

Pain and confusion churned dangerously with the hot fury that was quickly growing out of control. She ignored the hurt look Kristoff shot her way before he too slipped out of the icy office. A mere second after the latch clicked shut, all of her emotions boiled over in a strangled scream of rage. The temperature plummeted inside of the office to near sub-zero and the forgotten Gaul shielded his face with his bare arms from the icy blast that followed. The Queen unleashed her many pent up frustrations all at once, ice crickling and crackling over every surface as she threw a volley of spikes into the far wall, hot tears finally spilling over and staining her cheeks.

"_Domina!"_ He called over the howling wind that buffeted him about.

Her blonde hair was ripped from its plait and her skirts whirled around her slim legs as she rounded on Crixus.

"_LEAVE."_

"_But Do-"_

"_GET. OUT."_

Her voice cracked and she pushed him away, the rippling ice on the floor forcing him back to the double doors. Even though every fiber of his being was urging him to stay, Crixus relented and very quickly navigated his way towards the exit when a few more deep _thunks_ of ice penetrating the walls reached his ears. He wrenched the door open and took one last look before he slipped out of the room. In the very middle of the whirling vortex of snow and ice was the Queen, her usually perfect posture broken and crumpled as her hands fisted in her hair. What would haunt him for days you come would be the utterly lost look of helplessness etched into her twisted face.

Crixus shut the door.

* * *

Hours later, Kristoff trudged back down the ice-encrusted hall to his sister's office, not surprised to find Crixus standing sentry outside of the nearly iced over door. As he approached he was about to call out but the haunted empty look on the Gaul's face made him pull up short. He was staring blankly at the opposite wall, his jaw clenched and his body tight with anxiety. Kristoff slowly approached him and was about to speak when a heavy low _thump_ reverberated through the floor and a muffled, hoarse and upset scream came through the door. When he saw the large man flinch at the sound of the Queen's voice, just minutely, Kristoff knew something wasn't right.

"Crixus?"

The statuesque man jerked back to the present and focused in on the mountain man in mild alarm. Kristoff could see old memories swirling around behind his dark eyes and he had to fight to not let his twang of pity show-he knew the Gaul wouldn't appreciate it.

"Apologies, I did not hear you approach." He rasped, forcing his body to relax a little.

"How is she?"

"Dying down from her second wind."

Kristoff grimaced and crossed his arms across his chest in an attempt to ward off the biting cold.

"And… how are you holding up?"

Crixus paused a brief moment before answering, his voice low to keep the Queen from hearing him. A flash of nervousness flickering across his face as he chanced a look at the door behind him before he felt safe to answer, old anger and bitterness roughening his voice.

"When I was a Gladiator there was a woman, the wife of the _Dominus_ of the _Ludus_. She was a cruel serpent… She used me for her pleasures and would take her frustrations out on me. The way that Queen Elsa sounds, the way she is screaming in rage… It reminds me very closely of how Lucretia sounded. I am just thankful she only told me to leave and didn't direct her anger at me."

Kristoff grimaced and rubbed at the back of his head, not sure what to say. The two men stood in an awkward silence, randomly broken by dull sounds of the Ice Queen destroying her study. In the brief moment they were there, Gerda stopped by with a covered tray and jug of wine. She deposited the meals on the small hall table to the left of the door, shot a worried look towards the men, and then left without a word. Crixus knocked the ice off the handle of the door and retrieved the food that had been left. With a deftness Kristoff didn't know the former gladiator had, the door was firmly tugged open just enough for him to place the jug and tray just inside the chamber. A frigid blast hit them with the ferocity of a deep-winter blizzard and the Gaul hastily pushed the items inside then shoved the painted door closed as quickly as he could. He had to take a minute and shake off the chill, rubbing vigorously at his arms.

"Your wife, she is still upset as well?"

"Yeah, Anna's… She doesn't hold grudges but this is way different from anything I've ever seen between them. I'm sure they'll come to terms eventually but… At this point I'm just glad the ice hasn't gone past the Keep's walls. I don't know if I could go through another 'eternal winter' in the middle of summer again…"

"I wish to never experience it. I do not like the cold."

"I forgot you're from a warmer climate. You grow up in it you get used to it, y'know? Oh, do you want a blanket or something?"

"That… would be very nice. Gratitude."

"Hey, no problem. I'll have some stuff sent to you. I'd stick around, but Anna thinks I'm just getting a bite to eat. She'll maul me if she finds out I went to check up on you guys…"

Crixus managed a weak smile and nodded to the mountain man, watching him go. His temporary better mood plummeted with a new crash deep inside the office. He sighed and folded his arms around his ribs to try and stay warm while he waited for the Queen to calm down. He knew all to well that this would be one of the longest nights he had ever spent in Arendelle.

* * *

Somewhere down the dark corridor a clock chimed two into the silence, pausing Crixus in his mechanical pacing. It had been quiet now for the past hour and a half, but he felt it would be better to wait outside for her to emerge. As the quiet drug on he became more and more worried. A quiet shuffle of footsteps turned the corner and a bundled up Gerda reappeared for the second time that night, a single beeswax candle lighting up the space around her. She jumped a little in surprise when the golden light revealed the chilled Gaul wrapped in a huge woolen blanket, his nose and cheeks red from the cold.

"Oh! I didn't know you were still here."

"I will still do my duty to protect her, even if she does not want me to be by her side." He rasped.

"Well… If you're waiting for the poor dear to come out tonight, I doubt she will."

"But-it's so _cold_. Finding rest in this is not good for the body."

"The cold never bothered her, dearie. But if it worries you, you can try and move her."

Grim determination settled on him and squared his broad shoulders, straightening him up from his hunched posture. He scrambled and slid over the frost back to the door and knocked the ugly ice away with renewed energy, not catching the surprised look from the elderly woman. With a loud creak and the shattering of the frozen water, Crixus managed to get the door open and slipped inside the dark chamber without another word. Gerda followed after him at a much slower pace and gingerly stepped over the frozen over jug and tray, completely untouched. She watched the large man clumsily make a round of the room and watched his worry grow when he couldn't find the Queen right away. He was just about to ask for help when he spotted a huddled figure half covered in a mound of snow and ice in the far corner. His shoulders slumped and he carefully made his way to her over the debris of her desk and sinister looking stalagmites that protruded from the floor.

"_Domina…"_

His sad whisper cut through the silence as he knelt by her side and scooped her up, powdery snow sifting off of her still form as he rose carefully to his feet. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in the juncture between his shoulder and neck as he cradled her to his chest, his large arms around her back and under her knees. Gerda almost couldn't believe how gently he carried her, as if she were made of glass. For some reason that was possibly due to his rough exterior, she had not expected him to have this tenderness under all the brawn and scars. As he carried her out of the room that resembled a warzone, he was murmuring assurances into her hair in soft Latin in what Gerda _assumed_ had to be about the massive row she and the Princess had earlier that day. Anna must have really upset her if she had lost control over her powers to this large degree. The Gaul eased through the cracked door and waited for the elderly maid to shut it behind them and lock it, minimizing the exposure of emotional lapse that could affect the Queen's reputation in the court. Crixus held the silent woman tighter and quietly traversed the corridors back to the Queen's chambers with Gerda at his side. Tired fingers bunched the woolen blanket on the backs of his shoulders and he paused in the middle of the hallway, nodding for the head maid to go on the last couple yards and open the door to the bedchambers. When she had disappeared through the door to ready the bed, Elsa sighed heavily.

"_I'm sorry I yelled at you." _She muttered into the blanket, her voice tired and fading in and out from overuse.

"_Don't be, you were upset."_

"_Please don't excuse me from how I treated you…"_

"_It's alright."_ He reassured her again, resting his chin on the crown of her head. "_Rest, and then with clear mind in the morning speak on this again."_

"_Did… you stay? The whole time?"_

"_Of course. I would never leave my post, Domina."_

When she didn't respond, Crixus started towards the door again and eased them through the ajar door. As he trudged back through the darkened chambers, he could see the bed in the back with the single candle on the bedside table, the sheets already folded down and ready for the Queen. His body finally began to ache in protest for sleep when his eyes fell upon the comfortable looking bed. He could hear Gerda running the sink in the bathroom and veered off to the right and peered into the dark room.

"Go ahead and put her on the bed, I'll help her get cleaned up."

The Gaul nodded subtly and returned to his original course, his heavy boots muffled on the thick carpet. He didn't dare look around and study the room, no matter how badly he wanted to. This was the first time in his few months in Arendelle that he had stepped foot into her personal living quarters, and he would be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn't curious. Crixus wanted to know just _who_ this woman was, but this was not the time for him to be thinking such thoughts. With just a few more shuffling strides he found himself at the side of the modestly sized bed. He maneuvered around and sat the Queen down as carefully as he could; his arms and chest starting to burn from the time spent carrying her. Elsa reluctantly released her hold on him and twisted her hands in her lap, her head down and her shoulders slumped in defeat and exhaustion. Crixus pulled the heavy blanket off and draped it around the Queen, the fabric bunching up around her ears and making her seem even smaller. He sighed tiredly and took a knee right in front of her so he could look at her face. Her eyes were dull and bloodshot, dried tear tracks traced down her cheeks and her nose was red from crying.

"_I must look a right mess."_ She whispered.

Crixus cracked a small smile and nudged her closest knee with his hand. "_Of course not, Domina."_

She frowned slightly at his denial and gathered the blanket in her lap, pulling it tighter around her body.

"_I messed up, didn't I?"_ Fresh tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks and Crixus had to fight _hard_ to not reach up and wipe them away. It wasn't his place.

"_We all make mistakes at some point. It is best that we do not dwell on them for they might harm us more."_ He rested his forearms on his bent knee, his smile turning sad.

"_Speaking from experience?"_

"_A life time."_

Just as he spoke, Gerda emerged from the bathroom with a basin of steaming water. Crixus sighed and heaved himself to his feet, stepping back so the elderly maid could set the vessel on the bedside table. Sensing that he was no longer needed, the Gaul turned and began to leave for his own bed. The Queen called out to him one last time before he disappeared into the dark.

"Crixus…" He turned and looked back, gratitude evident in her tired face.

"Yes, Domina?"

"Thank you. For everything."

He smiled warmly.

"_Always."_

* * *

***Insert Oaken here: "HOO HOO! BIG SISTAH BLOW OUT!"***

**She was an incredible help for the argument between Anna and Elsa. I have a younger brother, so I only know how we fight. Apparently it's different for sisters. hahaha**


End file.
